Harry Potter and the Ebony Throne
by BurningFlames
Summary: Voldemort's rebirth at the end of the Triwizard Tournament triggered something bigger than he intended. Long dead spirits escape the underworld and threaten the world. Harry is joined by the spirit of Godric Gryffindor and other heroes of the past to stop their ancient foes. Starts at the end of Fourth Year. Harry/Fleur.
1. Chapter 1 - The Graveyard

**Chapter 1: The Graveyard.**

Harry Potter stood in a graveyard, his leg bleeding and torn from an Acromantula bite and bruises formed over most of his body. A deep cut ran down his right arm from when Peter Pettigrew cut him, taking his blood as part of a ritual to return his Master back to life. His breath came in heavy gasps as he fought to push the glowing ball of light stuck between his and Lord Voldemort's wands.

The sound of Phoenix song echoed through the graveyard, though the only ones there to hear it stood in a circle around the cage of light that surrounded Harry and the Dark Lord. The Death Eaters cried insults to Harry as they worshipped their long absent master.

Sweat fell into his eye as he bent his entire will into forcing the ball of light back toward the monster in front of him, his muscles ached, and he gave his head a shake to push away the urge to give up and sleep. He would win this battle of wills and he would escape back to Hogwarts, somehow.

Deep groans sounded around the graveyard and Harry noticed the Death Eaters stop their jeering of him, startled shouts echoed throughout the graveyard as the Death Eaters started firing spells outward.

Harry couldn't tear his eyes away from the ball of light, he knew that if he did Voldemort would win this battle of wills and kill him in an instant.

'My Lord, there are Inferi!' called one of the Death Eaters, Harry didn't know his name, but he had been one of those that Voldemort had tortured as they arrived at his summons for his cowardice after the last war.

Harry saw Voldemort's eyes widen, and the snake faced man glanced away from Harry to see what his servant had told him of.

He took this chance and pushed everything he had left at overpowering the ball of light, pushing it right up to the end of the Dark Lords wand, but not quite touching it.

Voldemort turned back to glare at Harry for a moment before tearing his wand away from the connection, breaking it and batting Harry's spell away.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw people, or rather half decomposed people, tearing out of their graves and leaping upon the Death Eaters, a few of them having already pulled to the ground by the walking corpses and were being torn apart while the Death Eaters watched in horror.

'Fall back, we have achieved our goals.' Voldemort called to his followers as he turned sending a cruel smirk at Harry as Voldemort and the Death Eaters surrounding him twisted on the spot, apparating away.

Harry stood alone in the graveyard, beaten bloody and battered, his wand in hand as dozens of walking corpses closed in around him.

In the back of his mind he knew something bigger than Voldemort's rebirth had just occurred.

Shaking his head to clear away the thought and the blackness invading his vision, Harry ran to Cedric's body which lay where it fell, the groaning of the walking corpses around him grow louder as they came closer.

Only a few meters away as Harry slid beside Cedric's body and pointed his wand at the Triwizard Cup that lay about ten meters away.

'_Accio Triwizard Cup_!' Harry shouted, the darkness encroaching on his vision grow heavier.

Searing pain tore through Harry as jaws clamped down on his shin, his vision clearing at the sudden pain, he stared at the corpse as it bit down hard on his leg, tearing away at the bone and Harry screamed.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the glowing Triwizard Cup speeding toward him and hoped his hunch was right as he wrapped his wand arm around Cedric's body and caught the speeding trophy with his left.

In an instant, Harry felt himself whirling through the air via Portkey again until with a heavy thump, they landed on a raised platform surrounded by a sea of people who stood in shocked silence as Harry screamed again, the corpse attached to his leg tearing into his leg with an unholy strength as its claw-like fingers tore into his flesh.

Harry didn't see Dumbledore banish the corpse away from him before setting it aflame. He looked up at the old man standing above him but before he could say anything his world went black.

Harry saw flashes, images of being hovered through the entrance hall of the castle and hushed murmurs around him. Then the smell he associated with cleanliness invaded his senses and he knew without a doubt that he was in the hospital wing.

Harry opened his eyes to see the pristine white of the hospital wing in Hogwarts, Madame Pomphrey hovered near his leg, where the corpse had bitten him.

At the end of his bed stood the tall form of Professor Dumbledore, the old man looked worried as his blue eyes followed Pomphrey's progress on his leg.

Across from him, in the far corner of the infirmary was someone laying on a bed, but it covered them with a white sheet so Harry couldn't see who they were. His inspection of the room halted as he heard Pomphrey speak.

'Professor, this leg has been seriously damaged. It will take days to recover to a point where I am comfortable even letting him out of the bed. What happened down there?' the matron asked, her eyes never leaving Harry's leg.

A rush of gratitude rose inside him for the nurse, she had always been the one to put him back together after one of his near-death experiences. Guilt gnawed at him for giving her so much work to do over the last few years.

'Poppy, I don't know what happened, only that somehow, an Inferi attached itself to Harry's leg and Harry also returned Cedric Diggory's body to us.' Dumbledore paused, stroking his beard with a hand.

'What happened before that point at the moment is a mystery.' The headmaster said, his voice lacking the usual confidence and mischievousness it usually held.

'Professor?' Harry said, his voice little more than a croak, his throat dry and raw.

Dumbledore and Pomphrey's gaze darted up to Harry's before Pomphrey turned back to her work on his leg, putting out a hand in front of the headmaster before he could say a word.

'Headmaster, I need to work on him, I must ask you to hold off on your questions until I am confident in his health.' The matron said in a no-nonsense tone that Harry noted the headmaster closed his mouth after hearing her.

A grin find its way to his face as he saw the headmaster silenced by the mistress of the infirmary.

'Mister Potter, you have somehow outdone yourself once again with your injuries. Sometimes I swear you do this on purpose.' She grumbled and Harry let out a sigh.

'I promise Madame Pomphrey, I don't. Trouble just finds me.' He defended before she huffed and continued waving her wand toward his leg.

Harry sat up on his bed, propping himself up with his arms to get a better view of what the older woman was doing. He saw his leg with the Acromantula bite had a bandage wrapped around it, though the bandages were red from blood. There was another bandage on his arm where Pettigrew had cut him.

'Mister Potter, you will have a scar from the cut on your arm. They used Dark Magic to create that wound.' Pomphrey said, having seen Harry inspecting his wounds.

'Also, the Acromantula bite will scar as well. The venom, mixed with the ambient Dark Magic of where you were combined to make that wound unlikely to ever leave you.' She continued with a sigh.

Harry noted a note of regret in it that worried him.

'What about the other bite? From the, Inferi was it?' Harry asked, looking to Dumbledore for confirmation, to which the headmaster gave a grim nod.

Pomphrey let out a heavy sigh, waving her wand toward a wall of shelves on the other side of the infirmary, a handful of potions vials sped toward her.

She levitated them to his bedside table before moving back to his leg, unstoppering another vial and levitated the potion out of the vial. Like a conductor in a symphony she spread the potion across the wound which burned in agony for a moment before the feeling faded.

'Take those potions Mister Potter, they will help in the healing process. I have done all I can.' She said before moving to his side, waving her wand above his chest and tutting at whatever she learned.

'Mister Potter, you exhausted your magical core. That alone should take you at least a week to recover from, however you have somehow recovered from that in record time.' Madame Pomphrey paused, waving her wand over his head before letting out a huff.

'I have so many conflicting readings coming from you that most of my diagnostic charms are next to useless. Some of them are telling me you are dead, which you are not.' The Matron sighed again, laying a hand on Harry's forehead and wiping away his messy hair.

'You, young man are staying here until I sort out all of this mess and I will have no complaints Mister Potter. Your friends can join you here for a time, but you need to rest.' She commanded and Harry gave a sigh of his own before reaching out to his bedside table and grasping one vial that lay there, unstoppering it and swallowing the liquid within with a cringe at the bitter taste.

'Poppy? May I ask him some questions now?' asked the Headmaster with a slight smile on his face that Harry took for amusement at the Healers stern behaviour.

'Oh, if you must headmaster, but not too much, he needs to rest.' She replied before giving Harry one last pat on the head and moving out of sight into the back room of the infirmary.

Harry noticed they were not alone in the room, at some point Professor Moody had arrived and stared at Harry with an intensity that was unnerving, both his eyes bore into Harry, neither leaving the boy.

'Harry, can you tell me what happened tonight? Start in the maze if you could.' Dumbledore asked, his voice soothing.

Harry let out a breath, casting his mind back to earlier in the night, the maze seemed so long ago, so much had happened since then he had almost forgotten what had happened in the task.

'In the maze, I seemed to avoid the creatures placed in it. I heard some of what the others faced, but only came across the Skrewt and the Acromantula. But toward the end of the maze I heard Fleur scream, so I went to find her and saw her being tortured by Viktor, I didn't know it at the time, but it was the Cruciatus that he used.' He paused, remembering the terrible sound of Fleur's screams, something he hoped never to hear again.

'I stunned him, which stopped the curse and I sent up red sparks and waited until Professor Flitwick arrived to take Fleur and Viktor out of the maze. I didn't want to leave her alone in the maze with all the dangers in it. There were some pixies that tried to take her that I had to deal with before the Professor arrived.' He paused again before sighing.

Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder.

'It's okay Harry, take your time. Everything you tell us will help to resolve this situation.' The headmaster said with a soft smile that Harry couldn't help but return. He took a deep breath before continuing.

'After that, it was just Cedric and I left and we found the Cup together, after fighting the Acromantula. He refused to take the cup, saying that we both deserved it. After a few minutes I agreed, and we took the cup together. I should have just taken the cup myself when he offered it to me.' Harry paused, a tear falling down his cheek.

Moody growled as he leaned against the empty bed beside Harry.

'We took the cup and discovered it was a Portkey, and it had taken us to a graveyard. Before we knew what was going on Peter Pettigrew killed Cedric, he used the Killing Curse Professor. I can't believe I let him live last year.' Harry let out a sob as the guilt tore through him.

Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder gave him a connection to the real world, but didn't hear the words the old man said as Harry sobbed into his hands, tears flowing down his cheeks.

The headmaster conjured a handkerchief before passing it to Harry who took it with a nod of thanks.

Harry wiped his eyes and blew his nose, trying to pull himself together and continue.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up and saw the Headmaster wearing a soft smile, but Harry noticed the man's gaze held, understanding deep within those blue orbs.

Harrys gaze fell back down to the white linens he sat on, linens that toward the end of the bed bore bloodstains and muck of the events of the evening.

So many thoughts whirled through his head that he closed his eyes, squeezing them shut to block out the emotions threatening to overwhelm him, his hands clenched on the sheet he sat on and his breaths came quick and shallow and tears pooled in his eyes again.

'Potter, drink this.' Pomphrey commanded and Harry accepted the vial of a blue liquid pushed into his hands. Without a thought Harry poured the potion in his mouth, swallowing it with a shudder at the bitter taste. His world settled around him and he released a sigh and lay back on his bed, a shiver running through his body as the potion calmed him.

'I'm sorry professor.' Harry said with a frown as he clenched his jaw as he thought of his actions.

'There is nothing to be sorry for my boy. More experienced wizards than you have suffered from shock after an ordeal like yours.' Dumbledore soothed, his hand on Harry's shoulder again, his thumb moving back and forth in a calming motion as Harry nodded.

Harry felt the effects of the potion in his system, how it dulled his emotions and was eternally grateful to whoever had created the potion.

Then he looked up and saw the headmasters face filled with concern and closed his eyes and released a sigh before continuing his story.

'The next thing I knew, they strung me up against a statue and Pettigrew was performing a ritual with a cauldron, a baby that wore Voldemort's face, the bone of his father and my blood.' Harry paused and saw a look cross Dumbledore's face that sent a chill of fear down his spine, even through the effects of the calming draught.

Dumbledore's face was pale and drawn, he looked every bit his hundred and fourteen years of age.

But the headmaster shook his head and Harry blinked, to see the headmaster looking just as he did before, putting the thought aside for later, Harry continued.

'Then, in place of the cauldron, he stood. Voldemort.' Harry explained, seeing the impatient expression Moody wore as his eyes never leaving Harry's.

'Voldemort dropped to his knees and screamed in what looked like pain, it looked like the worst pain I could ever imagine as he writhed on the ground, but then pain erupted in my scar and it felt like it was on fire, like someone was stabbing me with a burning sword straight into the scar.' Harry told the two older men.

His eyes staring at his leg, watching as Pomphrey returned to it and waved her wand over it for a moment before leaving again with a soft smile.

'I must have blacked out for a while because the next thing I remember was Voldemort releasing me from the statue and giving me my wand. Death eaters surrounded us. He called them by name, but they all wore masks.' Harry paused, he could feel the calming draught struggling with his emotions and the thought entered his mind about whether it was normal to feel the potion working on him.

'We duelled, and he was just toying with me, that much was obvious. Though he hit me with the Cruciatus a few times and I threw off his Imperious curse.' Harry said, smiling up at the grim-faced ex Auror that only grunted and nodded for Harry to continue.

'Then our spells collided and created a cage of light, I swear I heard Fawkes inside it. Between us there was a ball of light, connected to both our wands and I forced the ball near Voldemort's wand. I only pulled it off because he got distracted, he broke the connection and left me all alone in the graveyard, surrounded by the Inferi who until then seemed to have captured and killed a few of the death eaters.' Harry paused, the memories flooding into his mind.

'Sir, the Inferi… they _ate_ at least two death eaters. What are they?' he asked and saw his hands shaking on his lap as he watched Dumbledore let out a breath.

'Harry, the Inferi are dead bodies reanimated and controlled by use of magic. They often possess an unholy strength and will follow any directions given to them by those who animate them. They are ghastly puppets.' The headmaster said, with a small frown on his face.

'You said the Inferi only came after Voldemort returned? They weren't already present?' Dumbledore asked and Harry shook his head.

'No sir, I saw them out of the corner of my eye while He was distracted in our duel. They pulled themselves out of the ground during our duel and they caught the death eaters unaware as they were watching our duel.' Harry explained and saw the headmaster nod his head, running a hand through his white beard.

'Harry, Inferi don't return by themselves. Right now I can only assume that the Inferi were reanimated by the ritual that brought Voldemort back to life, but more as a side effect. Otherwise the Death Eaters would have known about and expected their arrival.' The headmaster said and leaned back in his chair beside Harry's bed.

Pomphrey interrupted the headmaster, returning to Harry's side and setting down a tray full of potions vials on his bedside table.

'Professors, I must insist you both leave him be until tomorrow. He requires his rest and cannot answer any more questions until then.' Pomphrey glared at the two older men and raised her brows toward the door in a clear signal which both men followed, Moody releasing a growl as he went.

Moments later, the hospital wing was quiet, with only Pomphrey bustling around him, waving her wand over him and tutting to herself.

'Now Mister Potter, take those potions beside you and rest.' The matron commanded and Harry hurried to comply.

Taking a red potion before following it up with the other five before finishing with a purple potion, swallowing the whole thing Harry lay back on his bed and felt heavy irresistible waves flow through his body, and the feeling of sinking into a soft feather mattress came over him.

The last thought through his mind was that he had never been on a feather mattress before.

Harry watched as he saw his body leapt up from the bed and throw itself to the floor beside him, his hand darted out to his bedside table and scooped up his wand and in an instant Harry watched as a prisoner inside his own body as the sound of onrushing death crashed into his bed that he had lain on moments before.

The bed shattered, it fell apart in pieces as Harry's body leapt to its feet and his hand made complicated wand motions and fired spell after spell at Professor Moody who wore a shocked expression before returning fire with his own wand.

'_What is happening here?'_ Harry called out, but no sound left his mouth, though a thought returned to him, as though inside his mind.

'_Be calm young one, I will explain the situation after this foe is bested.'_ A voice boomed through Harry's mind and he watched in fascinated horror as his body moved on its own accord and battle Professor Moody who was tossing unforgivable spells at Harry like they were candy.

Harry watched as his body ducked and dove through the infirmary, weaving through the beds and debris of the battle before sending a series of spells he didn't recognise until a stunner erupted through his wand and knocked Moody into the wall beside the entrance of the hospital wing.

As Moody lay still on the floor, Harry watched as his body dropped to the floor, the overwhelming need to sleep dominated his mind again and everything went black.

Harry opened his eyes to find himself in his room in Privet drive. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and a thrill of fear rushed through him at being back with his relatives. His breaths came in shallow gasps and his eyes darted around him, noting every corner of the room, the open window and the closed door.

He glanced around the room, feeling something was not right.

'This is an interesting abode young one. Where is it?' came a voice from behind him. Harry spun to see a man where there was not one before, during his first sweep of the room.

The man was tall and broad, his mane of black shoulder length hair was thick and matched with his thick stubble gave him a roguish appearance. His face wore a confused expression as he glanced out the window to cars parked in the street and up to the light bulb above him, before reaching out to touch it.

Harry stared at the man, moving his body to present only his side to the unknown man, facing the window in case he needed to escape the situation.

'Who are you?' Harry asked, his eyes narrowed toward the man who pulled his hand away from the light bulb for a moment before turning to face Harry, his hands open wide and held in the universal sign of peace.

'My name is Godric Gryffindor, I am your ancestor. I came to be in your mind because you are the only one in this world that has any blood connection to me.' The man answered and Harry stared at the man in disbelief, his eyebrow raised.

'Godric Gryffindor? Is inside my mind?' Harry asked before running a hand through his hair and clenching his jaw.

'Of course, he is, I'm dead. I must be, did Moody kill me or was this whole night a dream? What the hell is happening to me?' Harry muttered, closing his eyes and taking a breath. The panic and fear from his conversation with Dumbledore surfaced, filling his mind.

Godric sighed and gestured to the bed.

'Okay, this will take some explaining I see. Please take a seat while I try to get this to make sense for you.' The tall man said as he leant up against the wall.

'I have been dead and in Elysium for a long time. What year is it?' Godric asked, cocking his head to the side, then saw the calendar on the wall.

'Nineteen Ninety-Five? Assuming you're using the same timescale that was being used in my time, that means it's been almost a thousand years since I died.' Godric mused before nodding to himself.

'If that is the case young one, then I have been in Elysium for a thousand years and I have come back to the world of the living to help you protect it from spirits that have escaped Tartarus.' Godric explained and Harry stared at the man before blinking.

'Okay, assuming this isn't a dream or that I haven't died after the events of the night. Though why am I at Privet drive? I should be at Hogwarts?' Harry asked, frowning as he tried to make his memories match.

Godric cocked his head and ran a hand through his hair as he sighed.

'Okay, so starting with the basics then. You haven't died, though you almost did. This is sort of a dream. We are both real, but we are in your mind, that is why we are in this place. I thought the place you were raised would be the most comfortable for this conversation.' Godric explained, before staring at Harry in confusion as he released a bark-like laugh.

'This place making me comfortable? You have no idea.' Harry snarled before releasing a breath, feeling himself calm a small amount by the action he continued.

'Okay, assuming this is real… ish…' Harry hesitated before continuing.

'What is Elysium? And Tartarus? Aren't they from Greek mythology?'

Godric quirked an eyebrow.

'They are where spirits go after death, Elysium for the good souls, those who did good things in life. While Tartarus is where the villains are sent after death, those who did horrible things to others. The Greeks knew their stuff, they preceded the Romans who are the ones who created wands and developed modern magic, also the reason we use Latin in spell casting.' Godric explained before pausing and shaking his head.

'Sorry, we got off topic there for a moment.' The man said before pacing across the floor, a hand running through his hair.

'When the one you call Voldemort was returned to the world of the living, the ritual that they used triggered an event. This event weakened the gates of the underworld which allowed powerful spirits to escape the underworld. I sensed my old enemy escape Tartarus, and I knew I would have to follow behind him, to stop him from harming innocents in this world.' Godric spoke, a shadow passing through his face as he spoke.

Harry watched the man talk and wondered whether this wasn't some crazy dream. He hadn't ever had one so detailed before, or so direct.

'So, what will these spirits do if you don't stop them?' Harry asked, wondering why the dream could feel so real and how he could think during it, he'd never been able to think during a dream before.

Godric paused, cocking his head at Harry as he met his eyes for a moment before giving Harry a grim smile.

'If we don't stop these spirits, they will wreak their vengeance upon this world for the countless years they were tortured and imprisoned in Tartarus. They will rampage across this world likely driven mad by their time in Tartarus, which you may as well think of as Hell.' Godric said with a sigh.

'Do you remember the pain you felt in the graveyard? Just after the revival ritual?' Godric asked, his voice soft.

Harry shuddered at the memory of the pain, he could only nod, not trusting himself to resist throwing up if he spoke.

'That pain came from a piece of Voldemort's soul as it was torn from your mind and returned to him. The pain he endured in that moment was worse than your own because he must have had multiple pieces of his soul separated from his body, though why he would do that to himself I don't know. Perhaps he thought it would stop him from dying, which I suppose it did when you think about it.' Godric trailed off in thought before blinking and shaking his head again and met Harry's gaze.

Harry stared at the man, a hand going to his scar that as he touched it, it was raw to the touch, like it had been just made.

'Wait, I had a piece of Voldemort's soul inside me? How?' Harry asked, his face white at the thought. Godric nodded with a grim smile.

'Yes, but all of his soul pieces have returned to him now, I don't think their connection to the items he placed them in was strong enough to resist the underworlds pull.' Godric explained, watching Harry's face as he listened.

Harry ran a hand through his hair as he massaged his temples, trying to soothe the headache tearing through his skull.

'What does this mean though? Is he stronger with all his soul back together?' Harry asked, eyes wide as his mind raced. Godric shrugged.

'I don't know, but I know that he is vulnerable now.' He said and smirked at Harry's expression.

'He has no soul anchors left, so if he is defeated then he will go straight to Tartarus, like he should have the first time you defeated him.' Godric explained and Harry nodded, not knowing what else he could do.

Harry stared at his hands for a moment before meeting Godric's gaze.

'What old enemy did you follow up here?' Harry asked, cocking his head as he watched the scowl cross Godric's face.

'Salazar Slytherin, he was once my brother in all but blood. I sensed him escape Tartarus, but the gates of Elysium were not as damaged at those of Tartarus so most of myself is in Elysium, but I have been able to send a portion of myself into your world, hoping to connect to someone of my blood.' Godric trailed off, a scowl on his face.

'But all I could find was a young boy, you. There are no others of my blood. I could have connected to another mind, but our blood connection will be stronger than any other I could make to this world.' Godric paused, as if considering his words with care.

'I suppose the main reason I chose you over another is that you have the power inside you to make use of my magic. Though I should probably say that your inherent magic power will enable you to learn Battle Magic, which is a style of magic that causes a massive drain on your magical core when used.' Godric explained and Harry blinked before cocking his head at the other man.

'Battle Magic? Magical core? Inherent magic power? What are you talking about?' Harry asked, frowning to himself.

Godric sighed.

'They don't teach those terms at Hogwarts?' he asked, incredulous.

Harry shook his head.

'I haven't heard them, though I grew up as a muggle, so I guess I may have missed any common references to them?'

Godric closed his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh that Harry was sure he could feel frustration from the man.

'Okay, let's try it this way then. Your magical core is inside every living creature, it changes depending on what creature it is. Magical creatures like dragons have larger and denser magical cores than non-magical creatures like a cat. Are you following so far?' Godric asked, as if he were talking to a child, a rather dull child.

Harry clenched his jaw at the tone but held back his frustration with the man in front of him.

'Yes, but what about muggles, or squibs? I thought they had no magic?' Harry asked and Godric gave a soft smile.

'Muggles and squibs have magical cores, but they are too small to use magic, if they had no magical core they would die, like anything else. But to put it simply, the larger and denser your magical core, the more magical power you have access to. Make sense?' Godric paused, waiting for Harry to answer.

Harry cocked his head with a frown.

'So, if a cat had a magical core like a glass of water, a dragon would be like a lake?' Harry tried for an analogy that Godric grimaced at before giving a hesitant nod.

'More or less. The analogy over simplifies the whole process, but it'll do for now. Using the same analogy, a normal wizard or witch in your era has a magical core like a glass of water and yours is closer to a pond.' Harry grinned at the compliment but frowned as he saw Godric's jaw clenched.

'Is that bad?' Harry asked.

Godric sighed and huffed, scowling at the floor.

'Wizards and witches in your era are weak, their magical cores are undeveloped, and they lack the refinement that we created Hogwarts to develop. But I suppose I am lucky that your inherent power is enough to work with.' Godric said, though his tone implied it was not as much of a compliment as it sounded to Harry.

'So, how much magic does Battle Magic require then?' Harry asked, eager to change the topic.

Godric gave a smirk that sent a shiver down Harry's spine.

'Using the same analogy, you need a lake.'

Harry stared at Godric, a frown on his face as he opened his mouth to speak, then closed it as his mind whirled around the concept.

'That means you know a way to increase my magical core?' he questioned, still unsure how the man could consider him potentially able to use Battle Magic, if he didn't have the power to do so.

Godric wore a lopsided grin that hinted at mischief and Harry couldn't help but be on edge.

'That's exactly right, however. You're not ready for any of that just yet. But you will be soon.' Godric said with a soft smile.

Harry let out a breath before he heard Godric continue.

'While we are in your mind young one, time moves slower. We can talk for sixteen hours in here, while in the outside world only eight hours will have passed.'

Harry stared at Godric before rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands, and he took calming breaths.

'How?' he asked, still covering his eyes while controlling his breathing.

'It's something to do with the speed of thought, in here, the mind is unencumbered by the body. Your mind and magic can function at their best.' The man said, laying a hand on Harry's shoulder.

A shiver ran through him and Harry found his breaths coming a ragged gasp as his headache grew. It was all too much, and a tear slid down his cheek, he scrunched his eyes shut, but still more fell. Everything was happening too fast, the maze, the graveyard, Cedric, the ritual, the duel, the Inferi, the hospital wing, this dreamscape, Voldemort's soul piece, Godric bloody Gryffindor's heir and host body. It was all just too much.

'What do you want to do young one?' Godric's voice broke through Harry's thoughts.

Harry opened his eyes and met the gaze of the man standing in front of him, Godric's brown eyes watched Harry with concern.

'You have enormous potential and with my help, you can reach that potential.' The founder stated before he ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

'What do you want most in life? Vengeance? Peace and Quiet? Love?' Godric asked and Harry stared at the man, a soft frown marring his face.

'Should you wish it young one, I will find another to inhabit and prepare them for the coming evil unleashed upon this world.' Godric finished, letting out a sigh as he broke Harry's gaze before facing the window.

Harry ran his hands through his hair, relishing the comfort the mostly subconscious act brought. He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with everything, but the questions were valid. Harry closed his eyes and thought hard on what he wanted in life, a question he had never asked himself. He had considered what career might be interesting, but that was it he had never thought harder on the issue. But now? It was now the time to make a choice.

Harry stood from the bed, gave a heavy sigh and drew in a breath.

'I will fight. Though I do not yet know what I want in life, I only know that I will fight, not only for myself but for my friends.'


	2. Chapter 2 - Planning

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the things you already know of.

**Chapter 2: Planning.**

Harry woke the next morning in the same bed he always seemed to stay in while in the infirmary. Though he had memories of it being destroyed, he figured the Matron fixed it without too much trouble.

He noticed Pomphrey fussing about his leg where the Inferi had him the night before; it looked like it had bled overnight and with a soft shake of his head he glanced around the room to see a man on the bed across from him. The man's arms were bound to the bed, with two leather straps on each limb.

Dumbledore stood over the restrained man, his back facing Harry as the old man stared and Harry moved his gaze around the room. The bed in the far corner that the night before which had held someone under a sheet was now empty.

Harry marvelled at the infirmary, it looked as though nothing had changed.

He had spent almost a full day with Godric in his mind, discussing what he would need to do in the near future. The man helped Harry to get everything straight in his head for the first time in his life.

But in the real world, only a few hours had passed while he slept.

'Harry?' came the voice of Dumbledore, Harry met the man's gaze and nodded, his eyes then falling on the restrained man.

'Uh, sir? Who is that and why are they restrained?' Harry asked, he pulled himself up into a sitting position. The Headmaster gave a small smile and glanced at the restrained man for a moment before turning back to face Harry.

'Harry my boy, what do you remember of last night? After Poppy gave you dreamless sleep potion?' the old man asked, his eyes not twinkling for what seemed to Harry like the second time ever.

Harry cocked his head to the side in thought before a frown crossed his face. He couldn't tell Dumbledore about Godric, it wasn't normal, even in the wizarding world to hear voices in your head that only you can hear.

Harry shrugged.

'I don't know sir, though I don't want to insult Madame Pomphrey. But I think I had dreams, or at least flashes of something.' Harry trailed off, unsure how to continue.

'It's okay my boy, I suspect a similar event happened last night to what happened the night you got your scar. I believe that the protection your mother gave you stopped someone from trying to kill you.' Dumbledore spoke, though the old man's words didn't hold any conviction, Harry figured the man didn't believe them himself.

'_Young one, just go along with the theory until we gain more information. At least for now.'_ Godric's voice echoed through his mind and Harry fought the urge to glance around the room to look for the spirit.

'The man across from you is Barty Crouch Junior. According to the Ministry he died in Azkaban years ago.' Dumbledore started but paused as Harry scoffed, the headmaster arched an eyebrow.

'Really? Why does everyone think Azkaban is perfect? Sirius escaped and now this guy got out at some point that no one knows? Can't it get more security or something? If they escaped, surely others will too?' Harry let out a calming breath and noticed a soft smile cross Dumbledore's face before he continued as if uninterrupted.

'With Barty here's help, I believe we'll be able to prove Sirius' innocence. But I caution you Harry, the wheels of justice can move slow, especially if those in power don't want to act.' Dumbledore said with a grim smile.

'Sir, what about Professor Moody?' Harry asked and Dumbledore's gaze darted up to meet Harry's before an odd sensation grew in the back of Harry's mind. Harry frowned and shook his head and the sensation withered away and Dumbledore sighed.

'I must admit my boy, that Barty Crouch Junior has been impersonating Professor Moody all year, right under my very nose. I am ashamed to admit that I had not noticed, though Alastor is a dear friend. Though in hindsight it _was_ rather obvious.' The headmaster trailed off in thought.

'What about the real Professor Moody then? Do you know where he is?' Harry asked and Dumbledore's expression grew hard, his gaze shifting to Crouch Junior's restrained form for a moment before returning to Harry and softening.

'I will discover that when Junior is questioned, which will happen after he wakes from a rather deep sleep.' He replied before a knock on the door sounded, Dumbledore waved his wand with a quick motion and the door to the infirmary opened. Harry saw Ron and Hermione enter and a wide smile crossed his face, he had missed them.

'Harry my boy, I will leave you in the care of your friends.' The headmaster smiled before leaving the hospital wing.

Harry grinned at his friends as they rushed to either side of his bed, Hermione gathering him in a warm hug and Ron patted his shoulder with a worried expression.

'Are you okay mate? What happened? You disappeared.' Ron asked and Hermione pulled back from her hug to sit on the small chair beside his bed.

Harry let out a breath to steady himself.

'Voldemort is back.' He paused as he saw their faces grow white, terror filling them. He gave them a soft smile, but waited a few more moments to let it sink in.

The moments hung in silence before Ron let out a ragged breath.

'Bloody hell.'

Harry couldn't help the small grin that came over his face as he shook his head at the typical Ron response, his gaze turned to Hermione and he watched the range of emotions rush through her. Fear, shock and worry being foremost that he noticed.

'Hermione? Are you okay?' Harry asked, his voice low and he noticed Ron watching her expressions with concern.

Hermione blinked and shook her head.

'Oh Harry, I'm so sorry.' She croaked before throwing her arms around him and hugging him close, as if afraid he would disappear if she let him go.

A few moments later Hermione released him and returned to her seat and Harry saw them both stare at him, worry in their eyes. Harry gave a small nod before explaining the events of the night, skipping most of the details, like Godric, a description of the ritual and other things he didn't think they would need to know.

By the end of the story, Hermione had tears in her eyes as she watched Harry. Ron was white as a sheet as he lay a shaking hand on Harry's shoulder.

'_Godric, I can't ask them to do this with me. We've gone through all my adventures of this school, but this is too big.'_ Harry thought and felt the spirits agreement flood through him.

'_Young one, you are children right now. You still have a choice; you can remain a child and I can find another. But you must decide soon, for when we begin there will be no turning back.'_ Godric replied and Harry closed his eyes, readying himself.

'_I have decided Godric, I will fight. But this will be the first time I've left them out of it.'_ Harry explained and felt something akin to pride echo through him, whether it was his emotion or Godric's, he was unsure.

'I will be all right guys, I promise. Madame Pomphrey fixed me up and I'll be free to leave here before too long. But I have one question for you guys.' Harry asked and saw his best friends watching him in anticipation.

'Is Cedric's family still in the school?' he asked, and he watched their faces cloud over.

'I'm sorry Harry, they left earlier today with his body. They had a talk with Dumbledore before they left.' Hermione said, her hands holding his as she tried to reassure him.

'It's okay, I think I need to write them a letter. I wanted to do it in person, but…' he trailed off as he looked around him, then sighed.

'Hermione do you have anything I can write a letter with?' he asked, and she gave him a soft smile before pulling out a piece of parchment, ink and a quill from her bag before passing them to him.

She met Ron's eyes and nodded toward the door.

'We'll see you later Harry. We hope you get out of here soon.' She said, her voice soft as she lay a hand on his shoulder.

Ron nodded at him with a pale smile and the two left the infirmary.

Leaving Harry alone with his thoughts, and the ability to write them down.

A few minutes later, Harry looked down at the letter to the Diggory's. He reread it for the third time, it told them of how much Harry respected their son and how heroic he was. The letter told of the man Cedric was from Harry's point of view and how Cedric refused to take the cup himself while Harry bore injuries from the Tournament. He had also told them about how Cedric had died and glossed over the details of the graveyard.

Harry finished looking over the letter and thought it contained everything he could say about Cedric; a young man Harry had considered a good friend.

A lone tear fell on the letter before Harry even noticed it and he knew from experience, no matter what he did he wouldn't be able to remove that stain. So, with a shrug he folded the letter and placed it on his bedside table until they released him and could go to the owlery.

Harry lay back on the bed and settled back into the pillows, letting out a breath to relax. He glanced around him and regretted not asking Hermione to leave a book for him to read, he was sure she would have a few books beyond his understanding in her satchel she carried everywhere with her. But at least the book would keep him busy.

The door to the infirmary burst open with a crash and Harry watched in surprise as Minister Fudge almost ran into the room, sweat covering the small round man's brow, and Harry felt his stomach plummet as the temperature in the room dropped like a stone.

A Dementor followed Fudge into the infirmary and at Fudge pointed finger, moved in the terrifying gliding manner they used toward the still bound and unconscious Barty Crouch Junior.

Harry felt the screams of his mother the night she died rampaging through his mind and knew that Godric was preparing to take over his body again until everything stopped.

With a burst of flames in the centre of the room, Dumbledore stood in the infirmary, his wand drawn and Fawkes the phoenix sped through the air, an angry screech filling the air as it dive-bombed the Dementor.

The Dementor turned and escaped, fleeing from the irate fire bird which continued after it from the room.

'Minister Fudge, I trust you have a very good reason to come into Hogwarts unannounced, without Auror protection with a Dementor in tow in what appears like an assassination attempt?' Dumbledore asked his blue eyes staring at Fudge over his half-moon spectacles.

Fudge's face turned red and Harry thought of Vernon, though his uncle could reach far more unhealthy shades of red, even purple.

'Dumbledore, you'll regret meddling in my affairs. I'll see you removed from Hogwarts and sent to Azkaban for this. I won't have you destabilise the country to increase your reputation with another war.' Fudge snarled before turning on his heel and leaving the hospital wing, his stomping footsteps echoing away down the hall.

Harry saw the headmaster turn to him and gave him a frown somewhere between amused and concerned. The headmaster pulled an empty vial from his robes and sat in the chair beside Harry's bed. The old man looked ancient as his tired face met Harry's gaze.

'Harry my boy, can you please think of the last few minutes and let me borrow the memory?' Harry nods with a small frown.

'How can you borrow my memory?' Harry asked, while thinking of the Minister and the Dementor.

'Like this.' Dumbledore held his wand to Harry's temple and with some gentle coaxing drew a shining silver wisp of light from Harry's head, holding it in place with his wand.

Dumbledore moved the memory down into the vial and stoppered it before looking back at Harry who stared at him in surprise.

'But sir, now the memory is faded in my mind. How does that even work?' Harry asked and Dumbledore gave a soft smile.

'That my boy is a lesson for another day. I can see you need some sleep. I will see you soon and I'll tell you everything I can when I do.' Dumbledore said before standing and patting Harry's shoulder, leaving him alone in the hospital wing again.

* * *

Harry stood in the middle of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch. It was empty except for one person standing in front of him, Godric.

Harry grinned at the other man.

'Now, this is a place that makes me feel comfortable. Though the number of injuries I've gotten here should make me nervous.' Harry finished with a smirk at Godric who shook his head at Harry.

'Now young one, I will train you. To begin, we need to teach you to protect your mind from outside influence.' Godric begun, before with a thoughtful expression he continued.

'Your Headmaster, Dumbledore uses the mind arts; I have felt him scan your surface thoughts which I could hide from. But in your current state, if he took a closer look into your mind, he would find me.' Godric explained and Harry stared at him.

'Really? You can read someone's mind with magic?' Harry asked, thoughts running through his head.

Godric shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

'Yes and no.' he said, stopping Harry who then cocked his head.

'Huh? What do you mean?' Harry asked.

Godric grinned.

'You can read someone's surface thoughts with magic, or you can delve deeper into their mind and examine their memories and deeper thoughts. But these are not what you will learn just yet. They come later.' Godric explained, giving a wicked grin and his brown eyes narrowed in anticipation.

'The first step you will learn is how to defend against these invasive mind arts.' Godric said and Harry narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

'Why do I get the feeling I won't like where this is going?' Harry asked with a frown.

Godric gave a wolfish smile.

'Because you won't.'

* * *

Harry woke up in the hospital wing, in his bed there. It had been hours in his mind with Godric and it looked like late afternoon now.

Still disoriented, he only then noticed a presence beside him. His hand went over to his bedside table to retrieve his glasses.

'_I will ensure that you won't need those glasses within the next few days young one, they are a liability.'_ Godric's voice entered his mind, before fading as quick as it had come.

He put the glasses over his eyes and gave a confused smile at his companion.

'Fleur, I didn't expect to see you here. What a wonderful surprise.' Harry said, unable to keep the shock out of his tone.

Fleur looked as perfect as she had for much of the previous year at Hogwarts, her long, straight silver hair flowing down her back and clear blue eyes locked on Harry's own. Harry saw emotions running through her eyes, embarrassment mixed with a pleased expression. A slight smile on her face slowly turned to a frown as the silence between the two became awkward after a minute.

Harry felt himself grow tense as the time wore on, not sure what he should say to the Veela. He hadn't thought he would ever speak to her again after the third task.

Fleur huffed and took a breath.

'I'm sorry 'Arry.' She said, her eyes still locked with his.

Fleur exuded confidence at all times, at least as far as Harry had seen her. But looking at her sitting beside him, wringing her hands. Itself a nervous gesture, somehow made Harry feel better, as if just knowing that Fleur felt nervous meant that it was okay for him to as well.

'I'm sorry for my behaviour during the tournament 'Arry. I treated you like a child.' She said and Harry saw a tear in the corner of her eye, for a moment he considered wiping it away, but held himself back.

Instead he turned in his bed to face her.

'It's okay Fleur, I hadn't given you any reason to do otherwise. For all you knew, that's exactly what I was. You hadn't been around Hogwarts for the three previous years.' He said, a grim smile on his face and he saw her head cock to the side as she considered his words, her eyes narrowed before she shook her head to herself.

'I must also thank you for saving my sister Gabrielle from the lake. Neither of us knew she would have been fine. Your actions then tell me what kind of man you are.' Fleur paused, her eyes growing troubled and Harry knew what was coming next.

'What happened in the maze 'Arry? I remember someone using the Cruciatus curse on me, but I don't know who, or why?'

Harry closed his eyes, the memory of his own time under the curse coming to the front of his mind and he clenched his jaw. He opened his eyes again and saw her brilliant blue eyes shining as she watched him.

He let out a breath.

'It was Krum, under an Imperious curse. Krum was under the control of another, I'm sure it was the man sitting across from us.' Harry paused, nodding his head to the restrained man who lay across from them on the other side of the hospital wing.

Fleur's gaze followed his and Harry saw her jaw clench as she took in the man who had by extension attacked her. Her whole body tensed, but a moment later she turned back to Harry with an odd expression in her eyes.

'I heard you scream. It took me a few moments to find my way through the maze to you, but once I got there, I stunned Krum and sent up sparks for the two of you. I stayed with you and fought off some creatures until someone came to rescue you.' Harry explained, his eyes unable to meet her own and he stared at the bed behind her.

'After that, it was just, well me and Cedric.' Harry started before stopping to take a deep breath.

Harry felt a hand on his own, it was Fleur's. He looked up to see a small smile on her pink lips, but it was her eyes that drew him in. In them he felt like he could see her pain, but also her desire to help.

He nodded.

'We both got to the Cup, though I had a deep wound from fighting an Acromantula, so in a race he would have won. Cedric refused to take the cup himself, he said that we'd take the cup together.' He paused again, the inrush of memories threatening to overwhelm him, he didn't want to remember the graveyard.

With a heavy sigh, Harry pushed onward.

'We landed in the graveyard and within moments, a killing curse hit Cedric. "Kill the spare." they said.' Harry paused and felt Fleur's hand squeeze his own and he felt a tear fall down his face.

'After that they stunned me and I woke up tied to a statue and witnessed a ritual that returned Voldemort back to life, he tortured me and monologued for a while in front of his Death Eaters.' Harry paused, seeing the shock in her face.

His gaze fell to the bed sheet and doubted she believed him, why would she? He gave a soft sigh and pulled his hand from her, so she could return to ignoring him because she didn't believe him.

But when her hand squeezed his in comfort, he looked up to see a small smile on her face as she met his gaze and gave him a small nod.

In that instant Harry felt lighter than air. She believed him.

'Then Voldemort tossed me my wand and we duelled. He is so powerful, so fast, I recognised nothing he used, and he cast five or six spells for every one of mine. I never stood a chance, and he was just toying with me.' Harry paused, forcing down the fear he felt in those moments.

'But somehow, our spells connected in mid-air and created a dome of light around us and a ball of magic between us. It became a battle of wills, not power or skill. And I was winning.' He paused with a grin which faded as quick as it had come.

'Just before the ball of magic hit his wand something happening outside the dome of light distracted him, Inferi had crawled out of the ground and were attacking his Death Eaters.'

Harry heard Fleur gasp at the Inferi and squeezed his hand in her own.

'Voldemort broke the connection, batting away the ball of magic as the dome of light faded. He and his Death Eaters apparated away, leaving me in a graveyard full of Inferi.' Harry paused, reaching to grasp the glass of water on his bedside table before taking a drink.

'I ran to Cedric's body and summoned the Cup, hoping that it would be a Portkey that would take us away. And it did, but an Inferi got to me first.' Harry said, pointing at his still healing, left leg.

Harry turned to Fleur, their eyes meeting and he saw the tears in her eyes. In that moment, her beauty, not just her appearance struck him, but she seemed raw, pure in that moment as though there were no filters, nothing covering the true Fleur. The sight took his breath away after a year of only seeing the aloof version of her.

Harry tensed on impulse as she leant forward, pulling him into a hug, the best hug he ever had. He felt her body against his, her hair smelt of lavender. He froze, an array of strange emotions rushing through him, but after a few seconds he reacted and returned the hug. She twisted in the hug and kissed his cheek before pulling away and sitting back in her chair.

'I believe you 'Arry. If there is anything I can to help, I will. My parents raised me on tales of Voldemort's reign of terror. Outside of Britain, everybody knew the story of Voldemort and 'Arry Potter.' She paused, a small smile on her face.

Harry felt himself tense again at the thought of his fame and he saw her smile grow wider.

'Now I know that 'Arry Potter is no mere celebrity. 'E is more than a boy, familiar with his fame. 'E is a man of honour, of power and conviction. 'Arry Potter is a man I want to know more about.' She said, her voice catching toward the end and Harry noticed a slight predatory grin on her face before Madame Pomphrey bustled into the infirmary.

'Young lady, what are you doing here? Off with you, I must see to my patient. You can see him before you leave tomorrow.' Pomphrey shooed Fleur away and Harry caught one last smile on her face before she left the hospital wing with a sway of her hips Harry couldn't help but stare at.

Pomphrey tutted as she waved her wand over him, performing a host of diagnostic spells, muttering them under her breath.

'Well Mister Potter, while I am not yet comfortable in letting you leave, I don't see why you couldn't join the rest of the school for dinner tonight. So, you only have a few more hours in bed I'm afraid.' She joked and Harry stared at her in shock. Pomphrey wore a small smirk on her face at his expression.

'Mister Potter, you come here often enough that I think you should call me Poppy in private. I might as well designate that bed as your own, no matter what I do you keep coming back here.' She said and Harry couldn't help but grin at the small smile she wore.

'Thank you Poppy, I really am sorry that you have to put up with me so much. It's not as if I go looking for trouble, it sort of finds me.' He defended, but at her raised eyebrows he continued.

'Mostly anyways.'

She smirked and nodded before bustling away from him, disappearing into the back room of the infirmary.

The door to the hospital wing opened. Ron and Hermione strode into the Infirmary, wide smiles on their faces as they saw him.

'Harry, mate.' Called Ron, before he received a slap on his arm from Hermione that he ignored before sitting on the bed to Harry's right.

Hermione joined Ron on the bed and the two glanced at each other before Hermione nodded and pulled out the Daily Prophet, handing it to him without a word.

Cocking his head, Harry looked at the first page to see a graveyard in the picture, with empty graves. It was not the graveyard where Voldemort was reborn, however. Harry glanced up and raised an eyebrow at his friends who now wore grim expressions.

'Read the article Harry.' Hermione urged, biting her lower lip.

Shrugging, Harry turned back to the article and read. His body growing still at the headline.

_**THE DEAD HAVE RISEN ACROSS THE UK!**_

_**There have been reports over the last few days of Inferi attacks across the country, with both Magical and Muggle cemeteries being central to the attacks. **_

_**The reports of the attacks being on the night of the twenty fourth of June where several cemeteries across the country disgorged those interred in them over the course of the night.**_

_**Auror Shacklebolt of the DMLE has given a statement about the rising dead. **_

_**Stating that this appears to be a standalone occurrence and the Inferi at each site have been removed and the cemeteries have been cleansed and returned to their previous state.**_

_**But there are still reports of Inferi across the UK and even the muggles are noticing, even with the Obliviator squads working overtime.**_

_**There are also reports of wraiths being sighted. These sightings are spread out across Wales and Scotland and even as far away as Bulgaria so we will give you information when we get it. **_

Harry stared at the article and reread it.

'_Young one, this news concerns me. We must begin our preparations sooner than expected. We will have to push your mind, body and magic even further than we planned.'_ Godric's voice echoed in his mind and Harry nodded in agreement, not noticing the strange expressions his friends wore as they watched him.

Harry blinked, realising that they were still there. He sent them a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.

'Thanks guys, though I feel that something bigger than Voldemort is happening here.' Harry started, cocking his head toward his friends who stared at him in disbelief.

'Harry, are you okay? You're not acting, well, yourself.' Hermione stated, not meeting his eyes and her shoulder slumped, as if she expected him to scold her.

Harry let out a breath and forced a half smile on his face as he looked at his best friends.

'I'm fine Hermione, I've been thinking a lot since the task. I need to grow up and get better. But this isn't about that, not entirely.' He paused, considering his next words.

'I don't know what is happening, but as soon as I figure it out you guys will know. But if you can, are you able to keep an eye out for any ways anything can escape the underworld? I'll take myths, history, anything.' He asked and couldn't help his smirk at the expressions of disbelief on their faces.

'I'm not crazy, it's just a hunch. Please, help me out?' he asked and received two uncertain nods in return.

'Thanks guys, hopefully I'll be out of the hospital wing tonight, but no promises.' He said before Ron stood up.

'Well, mate, we need to get going. Hermione said she would finally play me in a game of chess.' Ron said, Harry stared at the two of them with raised eyebrows.

'Really? After four years you give in?' Harry asked his blushing female friend, incredulous.

'It's really not that important boys, but if we must Ronald.' Hermione stood, a little stiff and gave Harry a hug.

'We'll see you later Harry.' She said as she released him and walked to the door.

'See ya mate, tonight yeah?' Ron called as he opened the door and walked through, ignoring when Hermione slapped his shoulder for his volume.

Harry let out a breath, alone in the hospital wing. He basked in the quiet, taking it in.

A few moments later his peace was interrupted.

'_Young one, I have been reviewing your memories. You can call for the House-Elf named Dobby correct?'_ Godric asked in his mind.

'Yes, why?' Harry murmured, aware that if Poppy found him talking to himself, she would never let him leave the room.

'_Because you will need a House-Elf soon, your school year is ending, and house-elves are useful.'_ Godric replied, Harry shrugged.

'Okay, how do I do this then? This isn't enslaving him, though right?' he asked, voice low.

'_Enslaving? Of course not. Slaves receive nothing in return for their toil, house-elves receive everything they want, happiness foremost. You really have some strange ideas of the world young one. In any case, you call for him and ask him to become your elf. If he is truly free, and still alive I am certain he would love to bond with you.'_ Godric said, his mental voice containing a hint of exasperation.

Harry shrugged and took a deep breath before releasing it.

'Dobby?' he asked aloud and with a sharp crack, the excitable House-Elf appeared, his large eyes filled with awe.

'The great Harry Potter calls for Dobby. What can Dobby do for the great Harry Potter?' the House-Elf asked, as though his life's ambition had just been achieved, simply by Harry calling for him.

'Dobby, it has come to my attention that I will need a House-Elf to assist me over the summer. Is there any way that you can help me? I don't know how this all works I'm afraid.' Harry said, a small frown on his face as he spoke.

Dobby's large eyes filled with tears and Harry thought for a moment that he had said something wrong.

'The great Harry Potter wants Dobby to be his elf. Truly?' Dobby asked, tears flowing freely down his face.

At Harry's nod, Dobby bobbed his head and blew his nose on the rags he wore.

'But before we go any further Dobby, I want to ensure you are happy and have everything you could need or want. I don't want to enslave you or anything like that.' Harry asserted, the House-Elf stared at Harry, adoration in his large eyes.

'But the great master Harry Potter has just made Dobby's dream come true, Dobby has always dreamed of becoming Harry Potter's elf. Dobby could want nothing more.'

Harry sighed.

'Okay, so here are some ground rules then. I will release you if you ever want it, just tell me. If you ever want anything, tell me and I will do it if I can. If you have any concerns about anything, tell me and I will try to resolve the issue, I want you to wear something that isn't just rags.' Harry paused in thought.

'Are there House-Elf clothes? Like wizards' robes or muggle clothes or something like that?' Harry asked as Dobby stared at him in wide eyed shock.

'Oh, and no, I'm not forcefully freeing you. I just want you to be comfortable while you work. And maybe we can make people uncomfortable if they see you in a suit or something.' Harry finished with a grin and Dobby nodded with a matching grin on his face, his large ears flapping as he did.

'What would great master Harry Potter like Dobby to do?' the little House-Elf asked.

Harry ran a hand through his hair, unsure.

'How about you keep working here until I leave for the summer, then we'll get busy. Does that sound okay?' Harry asked and Dobby nodded before disappearing with a sharp crack.

Harry lay back on his bed and let out a sigh. He closed his eyes and focussed on his breathing, slow deep breaths, like Godric had told him were important to develop his occlumency. Any downtime he found himself with, he was to work on shielding his mind.

It wasn't long before Poppy bustled into the room, disturbing Harry from his exercises. He opened his eyes and watched her make her way around her domain, doing whatever she did when she wasn't having to stop him from dying.

It occurred to Harry that he did not understand what she did when she didn't have patients. But he supposed that with a magical school full of students she would have a steady stream of potions or transfiguration accidents.

With a soft smile he watched her work until she had finished with the rest of her room, waving her wand over the bound and still unconscious Barty Crouch Junior before tutting and made her way to him.

'Mister Potter, glad to see you're in good spirits this evening. Because of your injuries I've had to keep you in here longer than expected, but it seems you have recovered well. You should have an hour until dinner, but you are free to leave now.' She said with a soft smile.

'Thank you Poppy, I appreciate everything you do for me. I don't know where I'd be without you patching me up all the time.' He said with a grin before climbing out of his hospital bed and noticing he still wore a hospital gown, something he'd rather not walk the halls of Hogwarts in.

As if she could read his mind, she gave an amused roll of her eyes and waved her wand. He looked down and saw the gown now transfigured into Gryffindor school robes.

'Now Mister Potter, those will last for a few hours, but probably best to head to your dormitory to change into the real thing. Now off you go, and I hope I don't see you for quite some time Mister Potter.' She gave him a small smile as he beamed at her.

'Just Harry.' He said as he turned to leave the infirmary, leaving Poppy to roll her eyes behind him.

* * *

Outside of the Hospital Wing, Harry pulled out the letter he wanted to send to the Diggory's and made his way to the Owlery. The lack of students he came across on his way surprised him, only seeing a grumbling Filch and Mrs Norris walking down a side corridor as he went.

Opening the door to the Owlery, Harry saw all the bird's glance at him for a moment before Hedwig flew down to him landed on his shoulder, nuzzling him. He couldn't help the smile on his face as his Owl showed her affection for him which he returned in equal measure.

After a few minutes she had settled down and seemed to notice the letter in his hand. She poked out her leg, ready for her newest assignment.

'Okay Hedwig, this letter is for Amos Diggory. Can you take it to him?' he asked and the Owl gave a soft hoot in the affirmative before leaping from his shoulder and flying out the opening in the wall.

With a soft smile, Harry turned and left the Owlery, heading toward the Gryffindor common room. Halfway there he paused at Godric's request.

'_Young one, we do not have much time. We must begin, I will direct you to the Hall of the Brave.' _Godric's voice echoed in his mind. Harry frowned.

'Hall of the Brave?' he asked, hoping nobody else was around to hear him talk to himself.

'_Yes, essentially, it was the room I made while Salazar created the Chamber of Secrets. We all made a secret room.'_ Godric replied, as if it should have been obvious. Harry shrugged, now that he thought about it, it was kind of obvious.

Twenty minutes later, Harry found himself on the fifth floor in front of a portrait of two kittens playing. Harry had never seen it before.

'Really? You hide your secret room behind a portrait of playing kittens?' Harry asked and heard Godric letting out a bark of laughter.

'_I know! It was such a great idea, it actually came from Salazar before he, well… anyway. To enter you must ask to enter the Hall of the Brave.'_ Godric said, his voice low in his mind.

Harry examined the portrait of the two kittens rolling on the ground in an eternal game. There was a ginger kitten and a black one with white socks. And they played on a green grassy field with a castle in the background. As Harry looked closer at the Castle, it looked like Hogwarts, but a bit smaller and less developed.

'_That is the Hogwarts I helped build. I created this portrait about ten years after we founded the school.'_ Godric explained, a tinge of melancholy in his voice.

'I wish to enter the Hall of the Brave.' Harry said and the kittens in the portrait stopped their game, cocked their heads at him with an eerie synchronicity and the portrait opened wide to show a hole in the wall that Harry walked through a moment later.

He heard the portrait close behind him but paid it no mind as he stared at the room he stood in with shock. The room was about the size of the Gryffindor common room, with an open fireplace in the centre of the room, couches surrounded the fireplace and bookshelves covered the walls, overflowing with books.

Harry walked around the room, examining the room for anything interesting, staying away from the books for the time being. He knew that once he started looking at them, he would be doing so for a long time.

He found a door on the far side of the room and opened it to find a large bedroom with a bed fit for royalty. There was a writing desk in the corner and Godric had decorated the room in reds and golds, with a few portraits of landscapes.

There was a large walk-in closet filled with very expensive looking robes and other clothing.

'_Young one, everything in this Hall is now yours, you are my heir. These clothes have resized to you and the library is yours. Technically, you have as much claim to the school as your Headmaster does, being an heir.'_ Godric explained and Harry shook his head.

'But I can't, do you know my summer living arrangements yet? The Dursleys will never let me wear any of this.' Harry protested, ignoring the idea of taking the school from Dumbledore.

'_Young one, the Dursleys have no control of you anymore. Yes, I know of what they have done to you. I have taken the opportunity to learn of your past while you have been living your life.'_ Godric paused, anger in his voice.

'_Salazar wasn't entirely wrong in his beliefs it seems, much to my shame. But in any case, you will never be subjected to those creatures again, after learning what they have done to you they no longer deserve to be called people.'_ Godric stopped and Harry could feel anger coming from the spirit in his mind, he hadn't known Godric's mood could cross over into him.

'Then what will happen to me over the summer?' Harry asked, his eyes wide as an ember of hope sparked in his heart.

'_I haven't figured that part out yet. However, you will not be subjected to them, regardless of what your Headmaster believes. Worst-case scenario we will take that Knight Bus to a safe location or find a hotel in the muggle world to stay at. Never fear young one.'_ Godric said, all trace of anger gone from his voice.

'_Now, get changed into some of my old clothes and explore the bathroom across the room._' Godric ordered.

With a grin, Harry changed and found himself wearing pants made from some type of dragonhide and a cloth shirt with a dragonhide vest over it. An open outer robe covered him, almost making him appear like one of those superheroes in the muggle comic books that wore lots of black.

Now clothed in an outfit that fit and made him feel somewhat self-conscious about how tight it was, Harry made his way across the bedroom to the bathroom to discover a massive space, a large open shower and a bath the size of a pool. Harry stood in awe at the opulent room decorated in gold and marble.

'_That shower wasn't there in my time.'_ Godric commented and Harry's gaze jerked to the shower.

'What do you mean? That someone has been in here since you and put in a shower?' Harry asked, incredulous.

Godric laughed inside his head, a deep belly laugh.

'_While it is possible, no. I believe that Hogwarts itself added it in once showers were added to the rest of the school.'_

'Oh, well I suppose that makes sense. So, Hogwarts really is sentient then?' Harry asked.

'_Not fully, no. At least it wasn't while I was alive. With magic, it wouldn't surprise me if it was these days. Now, go study some of those books in the library.'_ Godric commented before going quiet.

Harry had gotten used to the times when Godric went quiet for hours on end, he assumed it had something to do with the time running at different speeds between his mind and the outside world. It must be hard to talk slowly enough for him to understand it, if that was even how it worked. Harry put asking Godric about it on his mental to-do list.

He left the bathroom and went to examine the library, running his fingers across the spines of the ancient tomes that he was sure no living person had seen in a thousand years.

His finger ran across the spine of a book bound in red leather with gold lettering that looked as new. He figured some kind of enchantment was on the library to keep everything in top condition after so long. Peering at the lettering, Harry jerked back from the book in disgust.

'_What is wrong young one?_' Godric asked, concern in his voice.

'This is a book on rituals, what is it doing here?' Harry shouted, pointing at the book on the shelf as if it brandished a severed head at him.

'_And what is the problem?'_ Godric asked, curiosity filling the voice now.

Harry spluttered and clenched his jaw, memories of Voldemort's rebirth filling his mind.

'_Oh, I see where your distress comes from now. I apologise. Though this explains why none of your fellow students or even the adults we have come across possess the magic power I expected them to have.'_ Godric spoke, Harry stared at the book, suspicion plain on his face.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked, staring at the book yet also wanting to toss it in the fireplace.

'_Rituals are not evil. They can be, much like using the levitation charm to drop someone off a building to their death. But they are not inherently evil.'_ Godric stated. Harry scowled before moving to a couch and getting comfortable as he stared into the roaring fireplace.

'_All students and teachers used rituals, in my time,__ to augment and fuel their growth. Starting with first year students conducting rituals to augment their memory and physical strength along with a host of other effects.'_ Godric paused as Harry stared into the flames, a frown on his face.

'_I want you to conduct a ritual tonight young one.'_ Godric said and a short memory of a ritual pushed itself into Harry's mind.

'_This first ritual is a minor rejuvenation ritual, designed to help your body recover and heal at a faster rate than normal, even for a wizard.'_ Godric explained the ritual that Harry saw in his mind as clear as if it was from earlier that day.

'_This ritual is one of seven that once completed will enhance these abilities. Many rituals are grouped into three, five or seven distinct rituals that when combined produce a greatly enhanced effect.'_ Godric explained and Harry gave a small nod as he examined the memory and listened to Godric's explanation.

'It doesn't seem to require anything suspicious.' Harry started, hesitant to say more.

'_Most rituals require use of your blood as it is an integral part of your magic.'_ Godric paused before continuing.

'_There are darker rituals that you are to never attempt. These often require other people's blood, or other fluids. However, you only need to know of them, not do them. Some wizards, like Salazar used the darkest rituals, which is how he created his Parseltongue ability which is tied to his blood.'_ Godric explained before pausing as Harry stilled.

'_Oh, I had forgotten that you possess that ability. I don't know how you do, perhaps it was given to you by Voldemort's soul piece? I will look into that at some stage.'_

Harry stood and moved to an open space in the room.

'_Young one, there is a ritual room behind you.'_

Harry paused, turning around to see a door where he hadn't noticed it before. He moved to open it only to see an empty room, seven feet square. Harry nodded and recalled the memory Godric had pushed into his mind. He grinned at how useful Occlumency was.

'Dobby.' Harry called and with a crack the House-Elf appeared, his eyes wide in excitement.

'Great Master Harry Potter sir, how can Dobby help you?' the small elf asked, his high pitched voice sounding happier than Harry had heard it before.

Harry noticed Dobby wore a canary yellow suit and tie which made Harry's eyes water before he looked away.

'Dobby, would you be able to acquire me some powdered unicorn horn, a Caladrius feather, a vial of Mountain Troll blood, a Kelpie scale, a Jasconious spine and an Efreet claw?' Harry asked. Dobby's eyes widened in happiness.

'Dobby can retrieve those from the greasy Professor's stores now Master Harry Potter, shall I do so?' Dobby asked, squealing with excitement at Harry's nod before disappearing with a sharp crack.

A minute later, Dobby appeared with another sharp crack with the items Harry had asked for, placing them against the wall, each in its own crystal vial.

'Is there anything else Great Master Harry Potter wants Dobby to do?'

Harry shook his head with a smile.

'No thank you Dobby, you have been a great help.' Harry said and Dobby beamed before disappearing with another crack.

Harry took a deep breath and calmed himself, he needed to be careful, even with a relatively simple ritual like the one Godric was making him start with.

'_Diffindo_.' Harry whispered, pointing his wand at his finger on his left hand, a small cut opened, and he used the blood that came out to draw a small ring around him, going over it multiple times until Godric was happy with it.

Then he continued to draw a square with each of its points touching the ring, then another square at a forty-five-degree angle so it looked like a diamond from a deck of cards. After he'd drawn the squares to Godric's satisfaction, Harry placed the items Dobby had acquired for him in the triangles that surrounded him as he stood in the hexagon in the centre.

'_Okay young one, now the hard part. Repeat after me.'_ Godric paused.

'_Augendae meus sanitatem. Et augeret mihi in salutem recreantur animae meae.'_

Harry repeated the words.

The ritual circle of his own blood beneath him glowed white as he completed the words which he recognised as Latin. At first the glow was enough to just turn the blood white, but within a few moments the light grew so bright that Harry had to close his eyes, then he was forced to cover them with his hands as the light continued to grow.

He felt his body grow warm, a tingle rushing through his veins. It was an odd feeling that he was rather sure he wouldn't want to experience again. But while he held his hands to his eyes, the warm tingling feeling grew until it was uncomfortably hot. Then about a minute later the heat in his veins grew painful and he dropped to his knees, his breathing heavy, unsure how to salve the pain.

His whole body hurt, like boiling water filled his veins.

Then it stopped.

For a moment Harry thought everything was finished and let out a breath, deciding not to complete any more rituals, this was a bad idea. Then a crushing pain hit his skull, as if Hagrid were trying to crush it in his massive hands.

A moment later, the ritual circle beneath him faded, leaving nothing behind, not even the blood and blackness overtook him as he fell as if boneless to the ground in a heap.


	3. Chapter 3 - Goodbyes

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing, I claim nothing.

**Chapter 3: Goodbyes.**

'What the hell happened?' Harry raged as he stood in his mindscape in front of Godric. The two stood in an open grassy field as far as the eye could see.

Godric rubbed the back of his head with one hand, a sheepish expression on his face.

'I am sorry young one, I had forgotten to mention that the first ritual undertaken, regardless of what it is will always leave you unconscious as your body learns to adjust to the new magical frameworks present in it.'

Harry glared at the founder; fists clenched at his side before he took a deep breath to calm himself.

'Are there any other side effects that you may have neglected to inform me of? Shorter lifespan? Inability to have children? Anything that could be construed as a negative?'

'Well…' Godric started, pausing at Harry's glare.

'You likely won't be in that hospital wing as much as you're used to?' the taller man said with a grin.

Harry growled low in his throat before using his budding Occlumency skills to calm himself.

'Anything else?'

Godric was silent for a few seconds before sighing.

'No, nothing negative from the rituals I will guide you through. There are other rituals that have significant side effects, though the benefits from those will be far greater.'

Harry stared at the man before letting out a breath, his shoulders slumping as he released his anger.

'Okay, but please, in the future let me know of anything else that could be important before I blindly follow your instructions. Please?' Harry asked with a small grin, Godric responded with a beaming smile.

'Of course, my heir. Now, we will continue working on Occlumency. Once you have mastered that, we will start on training you up in combat.' Godric grinned as he directed Harry to sit down on the grass.

* * *

Harry woke on the hard, cold marble floor of the ritual room inside the Hall of Bravery. He blinked, struggling to remember where he was. Then the ritual he performed the night before entered his mind, followed by his time with Godric in his mindscape.

Letting out a breath, Harry pushed himself to his feet not feeling any different from the ritual. He had assumed that the ritual wouldn't have been noticeable in the mindscape but figured he would have noticed some changes at least.

With a sigh, Harry stretched his neck to either side until a loud satisfying crack echoed through the silent room.

Sleeping on the cold floor was a bad idea.

He made his way into the bedroom, his bedroom, and saw the writing desk had a sheet of parchment and a quill on it. Harry sat at the desk and wrote a letter to Sirius, detailing what Dumbledore had told him, about Sirius' potential upcoming freedom and the events of the third task. He told Sirius everything he could think of, without mentioning Godric, but telling him that there was important stuff to tell him in person.

'Dobby.' Harry called, smiling as the small creature appeared with a sharp crack and a wide grin at being called by Harry.

'Yes, great Master Harry Potter sir? How can Dobby help you?'

Harry smiles, holding the letter in his hands.

'Dobby, can you please deliver this directly to my Godfather? Then wait for a response. I'm sorry to ask you to do this, it's just that I need it to him sooner rather than later.' Harry said, feeling bad for asking a house-elf to act like an owl.

'Of course, Dobby can deliver an important letter for great Master Harry Potter. Dobby is happy to help.' Dobby beamed before taking the letter and disappearing with a sharp crack.

Harry sighed.

'Godric, are all house-elves so eager to please?' he asked, feeling exhausted just from his short interaction with the brightly coloured elf.

'_No young one, not all. I believe that one worships you, which explains his eagerness.'_ Godric replied in amusement.

Harry showered, getting changed into another set of clothes from Godric's, now his, wardrobe. As he left the wardrobe, he saw a letter on his writing desk, a reply from Sirius.

_Harry._

_Dumbledore flooed me last night, telling me much the same thing as you did in your letter. _

_It's amazing that you got through that horrible tournament, even more impressive is escaping that madman, especially with your friends' body. _

_I'm very proud of you Harry, your parents would be too._

_Dumbledore also told me how your Defence professor was an undercover Death Eater. How did he not know? He had three damn Death Eaters in the school and he only knew of two of them._

_Anyway, according to Dumbledore they are holding a special session of the Wizengamot today to have a trial for Junior, with Veritaserum. So, with any luck, I'll be a free man by the end of the day. But we both know how good the Ministry is with getting things done._

_In any case, I am preparing my family's home so you can stay here with me, if you still want to escape from the Dursleys that is. The house isn't in great condition, but it's liveable and I intend to give you some pointers over the summer to give you the best chance against the next time that madman decides to come after you._

_Anyway Pup, I'll see you soon._

Harry grinned, reading the letter through twice more before leaving it on the desk and left the Hall of Bravery. He made his way to the Gryffindor tower, transfiguring his outer robe into a basic black robe, like his school robe. He hoped he would avoid any attention for as long as possible.

Upon arriving at the common room, it was empty. Harry looked on the wall and saw it was too early for the students to be up, so he hurried to his dorm and put on his school robe over his dragonhide outfit, tucking his more stylish outer robe in his trunk.

Now dressed like a normal student, Harry strolled downstairs and lounged on the couch in front of the fire, waiting for his friends to make their way down.

* * *

Hermione was the first one down the stairs, half asleep. Harry grinned as he watched her walk toward him without seeing him, she looked up to see him just before she sat down and squealed, leaping at him and wrapping him in a tight hug.

'Harry, we were worried when you didn't come last night. I thought you were being released for dinner?' she asked, bouncing in her spot as if she had a hundred other questions to ask, which she likely did.

'She decided to keep me there a little longer in the end.' He lied with a sigh, hating that he did.

He just couldn't think of a good way to tell her he found Godric Gryffindor's secret room on the way back to the Great Hall and performed a ritual that left him unconscious afterward.

'Harry are you okay?' she asked, worry in her eyes. He still noticed the almost bouncing she was doing, but it was obvious she was trying to hide it.

'_Young one, you should tell her how you're feeling. It will help.'_ Godric added and Harry sighed before leaning back on the couch, sinking into its depth.

'I feel horrible Hermione. Everything that happened with Cedric, not being able to help him. If I had taken the Cup myself, he would still be here.' He paused, stopping Hermione from replying with a raised hand.

'I know Hermione, I've thought long and hard about it and I know that logically, it's not my fault and that there was nothing I could have done to stop it. But that doesn't stop me from feeling guilty. I feel horrible about it but at the same time I know there's nothing I could have done.'

Harry paused, silently thanking Godric for teaching him Occlumency, it was difficult going through those memories, with the attached emotions. He was nowhere near done, had barely even started, but at least he was working on it.

He sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes and into his hair.

'It's really hard Hermione. I'm working through everything and I know I need to keep working at it. I can't just hide away anymore.' He paused and saw her confused expression, her head cocked as she watched him.

'Every year we've been here, horrible things have come looking for me. I've always been on the back foot, never been able stop whatever was going to happen before it did. But not any more Hermione, I'm not going to let Voldemort win, I will stop him and anyone else who tries to hurt innocent people.'

He stopped, breathing hard as he realised his voice had risen, attracting a few odd looks as other students moved past them on their way to breakfast.

'Oi, Harry mate, where were you last night?' Ron's tired voice came down from the boy's staircase as a yawning Ron plopped down onto the couch with them.

Harry shared a glance with Hermione before standing up.

'Ron? Coming for breakfast?' Harry asked as he and Hermione walked to the door, quickly overtaken by Ron as he leapt from the couch and seeming to run down for breakfast.

Harry and Hermione chuckled as they followed their red-headed friend out of the common room.

* * *

As Harry sat at the Gryffindor table finishing his eggs, Hermione, who sat next to him, leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

'Harry, the other schools are going home today, we'll be heading home tomorrow on the express. What are your plans for the rest of the day?' she asked, her voice low as she tried to keep Ron from overhearing.

Harry gave her a grin.

'Wanting to stop Ron from making a fool of himself in front of the other Champions?' he whispered back, his eyes twinkling. She sighed, knowing she was caught. She nodded before leaning closer again.

'Both the other schools will be leaving after lunch. We were told last night at dinner. It seems Fleur was disappointed you didn't come down, she kept looking over here with a sad look on her face.' She said, raising an eyebrow at him.

'Is there something going on that you haven't told me about?' she continued and laughed softly at the red tinge colouring Harry's cheeks.

'I doubt it Hermione, yes I think she's stunning, but I don't think she thinks of me like that. I'm a bit younger than her.' He muttered, only for her smile to grow smug.

'I knew it. Besides, who cares about a few years? My mum is five years older than my dad, they're fine.' She said before placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

'You should go outside. Maybe you'll be able to say goodbye, to either of them. I know that Viktor was looking for you over the last few days as well.' Hermione said, gesturing towards the great doors the led out of the hall.

'You're right, I do want to give them both a good send off. It's the least I can do after crashing their tournament and then winning it.' He gave her a grin before pushing his plate away from him and standing.

He glanced around to his friends around him with a soft smile.

'I'll see you guys later, just going for a walk.'

Ron spluttered for a moment before moving to stand, only to stop as Hermione's hand darted out to grasp his wrist, shaking her head and pulling him back down to the table.

Harry sent Hermione a small nod before walking toward the great doors, overhearing Ron asking Hermione what was going on with his mouth full of half chewed food. Harry didn't need to look to know Hermione wore an expression of disgust as she saw the red head eat.

Once outside the castle, Harry made his way down to the lake, standing on a slight rise to give a picturesque view of the black lake, the Durmstrang ship off to the side a few hundred feet away.

He stood and stared at the lake where during the second task a large floating viewing area had been created. There was no sign the construction had ever been there as small ripples crossed the surface of the lake, caused by the giant squid playing near the waters edge a few hundred feet in the opposite direction to the Durmstrang ship.

'Fancy seeing you 'ere 'Arry.' Fleur's voice came from behind him, he could almost hear the smile in her voice and couldn't keep his own smile from his face.

'Fleur, won't you join me? It's not often that I take the time to take in the view. By the time I return to my relatives, it's too late.' He said, turning to give her a soft smile as she joined him on the hill overlooking the lake.

As she stood beside him, he couldn't help but admire her. The way she stood made her seem powerful, like a bastion against the sea, standing tall amidst the roiling tides to the real world. She met his eye with a small smile.

'I thought you were taking in the view 'Arry?' she asked, with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

'I am. Just now it's a different one.' He looked away, back toward the lake, missing the light blush on her cheeks.

'So, what will you do when you leave? This was your final year wasn't it?' he asked, unsure how he felt about the situation.

'Oh, I 'ave 'ad to postpone my NEWTs until mid-next year. Hogwarts did not offer two of my subjects and I did not want to 'ave to 'ire a tutor for them. So, Madame Maxime 'as agreed to keep me on for the first 'alf of next year so I can complete my studies and achieve my NEWTs.' She said, her musical voice soft as she spoke.

'That sounds great. Your sister Gabrielle is in her third-year next year, isn't she? It'll be great for you to spend more time with her, surely?' Harry said, assuming Gabrielle was only a year or two younger than him, though she was much smaller than even he was.

The beaming smile Fleur gave him was infectious, he couldn't help the smile that grew on his face as she turned back to the lake.

'Oui, you are right 'Arry. She will be in her third-year next year. It will be her hardest year at Beauxbatons, so I am glad I will be with her.' She said, a small frown on her perfect features.

'Hardest? What do you mean? What happens in your third-year at Beauxbatons?' he asked, worry in his voice.

Fleur jumped slightly, before covering her concerned expression with a smile.

'Oh, do not worry 'Arry. I will explain it over the summer, you will be sending me letters will you not?' she asked, though Harry got the strong feeling that it was more a demand.

'If you would like me to, then I would love to keep in contact with you over the summer. It's a pity that we only really got to know each other toward the end of the year.' He said, his eyes on the lake still.

'Yes 'Arry, I would enjoy keeping in contact with you over the summer. I 'ope you do not find the idea a chore?' she asked, again Harry had the feeling that there was a hidden meaning to her words, but he wasn't sure what it was at this time.

'Not at all. I suppose that I just was wondering why. I mean, I'm not that special, why would you want to remain friends with me?' Harry said, only to be spun around, Fleur's hand on his shoulder, forcing him to meet her sapphire eyes, a fierce determination burning in them.

'Non 'Arry, I wish that you would not think this way. Why would I not want to keep in contact? You have proven to be the winner of this Triwizard tournament. You are not the _leetle boy_ that I first mistook you as.' She admitted, her voice filled with an emotion Harry couldn't place, indignance perhaps?

Harry let out a sigh.

'I'm sorry Fleur, my emotions are kind of all over the place lately. With everything that's happened I guess I have been falling back on old habits I picked up from my relatives.' He paused, before forcing a smile on his face.

'You said some of your classes weren't offered here, what were they?' he asked, she scowled at his abrupt change in topic before a soft smile lit her face.

'Do not think you have escaped 'Arry, but I will follow along for now. The classes I will continue next year at Beauxbatons will be Warding and Enchanting. Both classes will 'elp me to become a curse breaker, before I finally settle down as an Enchanter of the finest items in the world.' She said, pride glowing in her face and he gave her a wide grin.

'So, you know what you want to do after school then? That's great. There are some ideas I have about what I want to do, but really? I want to travel, to see the world. I've never been out of England, except for Hogwarts.' He said, a faraway look on his face as he stared out at the mountains in the distance.

Fleur smiled at him and gave him a soft bump with her shoulder.

'I'm sure you will see the world 'Arry. I do 'ope that France will be on your list? There are many places I can show you.' She gave him a small smile that he returned.

'I think it will be the first place I visit. But-' he sighed before his gaze fell to his feet.

'But what 'Arry?' she asked, her hand resting on his shoulder as her brilliant sapphire eyes met his.

'It won't be for a long time. I have a lot to do before then, and not just school.' He muttered the last part, but she still heard it.

'What is there apart from school?' she asked, before she paled.

'Non.' She breathed.

'Yeah, Voldemort is back and judging by my entire life until now, he won't rest until he kills me. Which means I need to prepare. Which won't leave me much time for holidays, as much as I would love to see you in France.' He sighed before he forced another smile on his face.

'Though if you wanted to finish your study at Hogwarts next year, I'd be happy to use the Triwizard winnings on some tutors for you?' he asked with a smirk.

Harry watched as Fleur cocked her head at him, a smile on her lips, almost predatory again before it disappeared.

''Arry!' Gabrielle called from behind them and they both spun to see the girl, looking like a miniature Fleur.

Gabrielle threw herself into his arms and held him tight before chatting at him in French. Harry looked at Fleur in desperation and she rolled her eyes.

'_Gabby, he doesn't understand French._' She explained in what Harry assumed was French and Gabrielle's face fell at the reminder. Harry couldn't just let her be sad, so he knelt down to Gabrielle's level before looking to Fleur.

'Can you translate?' he asked and grinned at her beaming smile.

He met Gabrielle's eyes and gave her a smile, his hands on her shoulders.

'Gabrielle, I am sorry that I cannot speak your language. But your sister has told me I must send her letters over the summer. So, I think I will send some to you as well, if you like?' he started, noticing that Fleur was translating a few seconds behind him. He noticed a look of awe in the younger girls' eyes as she listened to her sister translating.

'I think I'll try to learn French so I can send letters to the both of you that you will be able to understand. Though maybe give me some time to learn, it may take a while.' He paused to wait for Fleur to catch up. He saw tears welling up in the young Veela's eyes as she watched him.

'I would like for us to become friends, not just because of what happened in the lake, or that I also want to stay friends with Fleur. But because from what I've seen so far, and what Fleur has told me, you are a good person and I could always have more friends.' He finished with a smile and as soon as Fleur caught up, Gabrielle leapt into his arms hugging him tight, speaking so fast all he could do was look at Fleur who wore a grin.

Gabrielle let him go before Fleur said something else to her in French that caused the young girl to turn to her sister, her hands on her hips and glare at Fleur. Gabrielle stomped her foot and with one last hug for Harry, left the two alone.

'Uh, Fleur, what was that last thing you said to her?' he asked, uncertain whether he wanted to hear it.

She grinned.

'Nothing for you to worry about just yet. I'll tell you another time.' She said, her smile wide before it fell.

Harry turned to see Madame Maxime standing beside their large carriage with her hands on her hips.

'Time to go then?' Harry asked with a sigh.

Fleur leant in and kissed both his cheeks before giving him a tight hug, leaving his cheeks flushed.

'Yes, 'Arry, I expect your letter soon.' She said before she left him standing on the hill by himself, watching as she rushed to her carriage, under Madame Maxime's close gaze. The smell of lavender fading after she left.

A minute later, the carriage took off, within minutes it was only a speck on the horizon.

A hand clapping him on his shoulder made him jump. He spun to see Viktor Krum wearing a solemn expression as he met Harry's gaze.

'I am sorry for my actions in the third task. I am ashamed to have been a part of it. Cedric was a strong opponent.' Viktor paused, a heavy frown on his face.

Harry smiled at the Durmstrang champion. Putting his hand on the other boy's shoulder.

'Viktor, it's okay. Your actions in the third task were not your own. To my understanding, there are few who can resist the Imperious curse.' He paused, squeezing the older student's shoulder.

'I will make sure that Cedric is avenged. I will not stop until Voldemort is put down, for good this time.' Harry declared, bringing a savage grin to Viktor's face.

'When you take the fight to that monster, let me know, I will join you in this.' Viktor said.

Harry smiled at the Quidditch star.

'I will. Thank you, Viktor.' He said as Viktor released his hold on Harry and left him to stand alone on his hill once more, watching as the Bulgarian Champion walked aboard his ship and within minutes, the ship had disappeared beneath the waves.

Harry sighed, sad to see the end of the Triwizard Tournament, it had been horrible for the most part, but seeing his newest friends leave left an odd feeling inside him. In his heart, he hoped he would have the chance to see them again.

'Harry?' came Hermione's voice from behind him.

Harry wore a soft smile as he turned to face his oldest friends. Ron and Hermione stood a few metres away, both wearing nervous expressions.

'What are you doing out here Harry, mate?' Ron asked, an odd expression on his face.

Harry couldn't help the small grin on his face as he noticed how much he had changed since the graveyard. His perspective and priorities had changed in the few days since Voldemort's return.

'Oh, nothing Ron. Just fostering international relations.' He replied with a grin.

Ron scoffed.

'Oh, sure you are Harry, that's what you're trying with Fleur. But mate, she's so much older than we- ouch!' he stopped, rubbing his side as Hermione elbowed it.

'Ouch, Hermione, that hurt. When did your elbow get so sharp?' Ron whined, rubbing his side.

Harry grinned at his friends, glad to see some things hadn't changed.

* * *

That night, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table in the great hall, trying not to watch as Ron inhaled his third plate of food. He watched the green tinge to Hermione's face as she couldn't help but stare at their red-haired friend as he ate more than the two of them combined.

The food disappeared as Dumbledore stood at the head table. Ron sulked as the piece of chicken he had been eating disappeared right out of his hands.

'Students, this is our last evening before we return to our homes for the summer.' The Headmaster began, his arms wide as he held the attention of the hall.

'At the end of the Triwizard Tournament, an event took place, one that rumours have been spreading not just through this school, but the entire wizarding world. Rumours that I will try to clarify.' He paused; the entire hall was silent as they watch the aged wizard with bated breath.

'At the conclusion of the Triwizard Tournament, both Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter tied for first place, taking the cup together in a show of solidarity. However, the cup was a trap, taking the two to a graveyard in Little Hangleton where the Dark Lord Voldemort returned to life via a dark ritual.' He paused again and Harry couldn't help but notice the rapt attention the old man held.

'Cedric was killed before the ritual began and Harry Potter escaped from the graveyard and brought Cedric's body back with him.' Dumbledore paused, letting the information sink in before he continued.

'But Voldemort was not the only thing that came back that night. As you have seen in the Daily Prophet, Inferi have been sighted all around not just the UK but the world. Dark times have arrived, but all is not lost. Hogwarts will remain and will always be here to help you should you need it.'

Harry noticed the worried expressions on many students faces as they stared at the Headmaster. But then, why wouldn't they be worried? Albus Dumbledore just told them that the most feared Dark Lord in the world has returned, and the Inferi were running amok. They should be afraid.

'Hope and courage will help us through this dark time, and we must always choose to do what is right, rather than easy.' With that, the Headmaster sat down on his throne-like chair and leaned over to whisper to Professor McGonagall.

Harry sighed, knowing he would have a busy night ahead of him with Godric once he fell asleep. With that thought it mind he stood and walked back to the Gryffindor common room and up to his dorms, opting for an early night.

**A/N: So many favourites and follows! Thanks! I'll try to get these posted ASAP. The story is done, just giving each chapter a final edit as I post them.**


	4. Chapter 4 - A New Home

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing that you recognise.

**Chapter 4: A New Home.**

The train ride the next day was relaxed as Harry sat in the compartment along with Ron and Hermione. Some of their other friends dropped by to chat, but toward the end of the trip the compartment was filled with Neville, Ginny and the Weasley twins who were saying a quick farewell as the door to the compartment opened, revealing the slick backed blonde hair of Draco Malfoy.

'Oi Scar head, the least you could have done at the end of the Tournament was to die. You couldn't save Diggory and he at least was a decent wizard. What good are you?' Malfoy sneered, Crabbe and Goyle stood behind the blonde Slytherin with dark grins on their otherwise blank faces.

'_Young one, don't rise to his bait, rather shame him by showing you are above his petty games.'_ Godric warned in his mind and Harry couldn't help but agree, he gave a sigh as he stood from his seat. He felt the eyes of his friends following him and was concerned to see a malicious gleam in Ron's eyes, then it hit him.

Ron thought he would attack Malfoy.

Even Malfoy's eyes widened as Harry moved toward him, not saying a word.

Finally, Harry stopped in front of the blonde Slytherin and with a disappointed expression he had seen on Dumbledore's face a few times, he met the young Malfoy's gaze.

'Draco, things in the world are getting real. Life and death decisions are being made. I know what side I am on in this upcoming conflict. But your side isn't locked in, you still have time to choose. Deep inside, I know that you've been putting on an act, and it's a good one. But think hard on your options. Good day.' Harry said, dismissing the Slytherin with a nod and closing the door between them with a basic locking charm before sitting back down.

The silence in the carriage worried him and he looked around to see his friends staring at him.

'What?' he asked, they glanced at each other for a moment before one of the twins spoke.

'Harrikins, are you okay? I thought for sure that you would have trounced the little git.'

'Surely he must be ill my good brother-'

'For why else he would give young Draco-'

'A simple friendly warning-'

'More a plea really.'

The twins looked at each other, then back to Harry.

'Are you dying?' they asked simultaneously.

Harry chuckled, noticing the same expressions on the other faces in the compartment.

'No guys, I'm not dying, not anytime soon anyway. I just think it's past time for my petty feud with him to finish. If it escalates, he'll probably end up dead. Which I don't want on my conscience, even if he has been a horrid prat in the past.' Harry explained and he saw Neville look afraid for a moment before nodding.

'Oh, we will be arriving at Platform 9 ¾ soon. We should make sure we're all ready to go.' Exclaimed Hermione as she leapt up from her spot and left the compartment with Ginny beside her, carrying a bag in each of their hands.

The boys watched the girls leave and chuckled, getting changed out of their robes and Harry felt eyes on him again.

'What this time?' he huffed, rolling his eyes.

'Harry, mate. Where d'you get those clothes?' Ron asked, his head cocked as he looked at him and Harry could see the envy in his gaze.

He sighed.

'Ron, I transfigured these this morning, trying out a style different from "overgrown muggle". Not sure how I feel about it, but at least it's comfortable.' Harry remarked as he looked down and gestured the dragonhide outfit he had worn since discovering the Hall of the Brave. He felt bad lying to Ron but figured that telling him about finding the Hall of the Brave and everything else wasn't something he wanted to do just yet.

He found them to be the most comfortable clothes he had ever worn.

Ron only gaped at his attire while the twins gave identical grins and a few minutes later Hermione and Ginny returned, both stopping to stare at his attire before they even sat down.

Harry saw an odd look in Hermione's eyes as she stared at him, almost calculating and he turned to look at Ginny to see hunger in her gaze.

'Girls, please tell me you aren't going to just stare like this one?' Harry asked, gesturing to Ron beside him.

Both girls shook their heads and sat down opposite him.

'But Harry, where did you get them from?' Hermione asked.

Harry groaned.

* * *

They got off the train after it arrived at Platform 9 ¾, Harry was keen to leave behind the awkward conversation and had had to ignore Godric chuckling in his mind at their reactions.

In the middle of the station stood Sirius, with the crowd keeping a wide berth.

The ex-convict wore a wide grin and looked great as he wore new clothes and was well groomed for the first time Harry could remember seeing him.

'Sirius.' Harry called and went to the man, giving him a strong hug.

He pulled back and Harry felt Sirius put a hand on his shoulder.

'I'm taking you back to my place, unless you'd rather the Dursleys?' Sirius asked, smiling as Harry gave him a grin.

Sirius was caught in a hug from Hermione.

Harry smiled, watching as the man looked overwhelmed for a moment at the brunette missile.

'Sirius, we're so glad that you're free now. Congratulations.' She cried as she pulled away so Ron could shake the ex-con's hand.

Harry noticed the looks on Ginny and the twins' faces and groaned.

'Sorry guys, this here is my Godfather, Sirius Black, who has been acquitted of all crimes he was falsely accused of.' He said with a grin to the Weasleys who only gave forced smiles and a weak wave.

'I'm sure we'll catch up over the summer and you can get to know him. Anyway, have a great summer.' He called to them all, gathering his trunk and Hedwig's cage before Sirius side along apparated them from the train station into the dining room of a dark filthy house.

* * *

Harry glanced around the room, it looked like it hadn't been lived in for decades. The walls and floor were covered with grime and Harry couldn't help clenching his jaw, trying to hold his breath at the smell.

'Now uh, welcome to Grimmauld place. It's been in my family for years and I only just moved in. It'll need a bit of work, but under all this grim interior the house isn't bad. Just the memories it holds.' Sirius trailed off with a dark look as he glanced around the room.

Harry cocked his head at Sirius.

'You grew up here didn't you?' he asked, and Sirius let out a bark of a laugh.

'Well, I kinda ran away to stay with your dad after my fourth year. I didn't get along with my family.' The man said, a faraway look in his eyes.

'You did?' Harry asked and Sirius grinned, finding something about the memory funny.

'Yeah, I mean we were friends since the start of first year and by the end of my fourth year I was sick of my family supporting the Dark Lord and everything they stood for. So, I went back with James to his place, his parents understood where I was coming from and set up a room for me. But Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, your grandparents, were great people.' Sirius explained, a bright grin on his face.

'I can't wait to hear more about them.' Harry grinned.

Sirius matched the grin before taking Harry's trunk and lead him out of the dining room.

'Come on Pup, I'll show you around your new home.'

The two made their way upstairs to Harry's room, outside the door Harry noted the name on it.

'Sirius? Who was Regulus?' he asked, then he saw a shadow pass over Sirius' face.

'He was my little brother. Unfortunately, he listened to my mother and joined the Death Eaters. After a year or two, none of us heard from him again. We were really close when we were kids.' Sirius paused as Harry placed a hand on his shoulder.

'I'm sorry Sirius.' He said, squeezing the other man's shoulder in support.

'No, Harry, I'm sorry. I brought you to the one place that might be worse than where you used to have to stay.' Sirius said, opening the door and moving into the room.

While the room was decorated in dark colours, the open window let in enough light so that the room wasn't too gloomy.

'Sirius, this place will be great once a bit of work gets done.' Then he paused, cocking his head at Sirius.

'How did you get free so quickly, anyway?' Harry asked.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh.

'Simple really, because of Crouch Juniors testimony and the Inferi Menace starting at the same time as Voldemort's revival, my freedom was a minor inconvenience that Fudge blamed the whole thing on the previous administration. Even though he still denies that Voldemort is back.' Sirius explained, with a pained expression as he finished.

Harry just stared at Sirius, with an incredulous raised eyebrow.

Sirius shrugged.

'Now, I'm sorry about the room pup, but my house-elf is useless and I'm not much better.'

Harry grinned as he inspected the room again.

'Dobby.' He called and with a sharp crack, the excitable house-elf appeared in front of them.

'Great Master Harry Potter sir? How can Dobby help you?'

Harry caught Sirius covering his mouth to stop from snickering at the adoration in the house-elf's gaze.

He knelt down in front of Dobby.

'Dobby, are you able to help around the house? This is our new home. And can you do as Sirius asks? He will be the-' Harry paused, giving Sirius a smirk.

'-_responsible_ adult looking after me.' Harry heard Sirius splutter with indignance, but he ignored it, focussing on Dobby.

Harry looked back at Sirius.

'You said you had a house-elf? Should we introduce the two?'

Sirius held a hand to his chin in thought.

'Yeah, probably would be a good idea, otherwise they may fight.'

'KREACHER.' Sirius called and an ancient looking house-elf popped into existence nearby, muttering under its breath.

'Kreacher, this is Harry Potter, my heir and heir to the house of Black. You will obey him.' Sirius said, then gestured to a wide-eyed Dobby.

'This is Dobby, he will assist in the care of this manor. Which will be returned to its former glory.' Sirius said, a stern expression on his face as Kreacher turned a baleful glare on Harry.

'Filthy traitorous master declares filthy half-blood master as the heir? Oh, Mistress will be so ashamed.' The ancient elf groused before shuffling out of the room, continuing to mutter to itself.

'Umm…' Harry started, looking between Dobby and Sirius.

'Sorry Harry, that elf has gone mad after being stuck in this place for a decade with only a portrait of my insane mother for company.' Sirius explained, sitting down on the bed with a huff.

'Dobby will get started on the cleaning great master Harry Potter. Bad elf has left much to do. Call Dobby for anything you need great master Harry Potter sir.' Dobby squeaked before popping away, leaving the two men alone.

'Look, Harry. I'm sorry I wasn't around for your childhood or last year for the tournament. I have been a horrible Godfather.' Sirius admitted, a tear in his eye.

'Sirius, it's okay. You're here now. You've gotten me away from the Dursleys, that's more than I could ever have asked for. So what if we need to renovate this place? We'll do it together.' Harry declared, taking a seat on the bed beside Sirius.

The two sat in silence for a minute before Sirius perked up and turned to Harry, a grin on his face.

'So, what do you want to do for the holidays? Go on a trip? Relax?' he said.

Harry grimaced at the question, Sirius ducked his head, looking closer at Harry.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'Sirius, how is your Occlumency?' Harry asked, after an uncomfortable pause. Sirius gave Harry a confused expression.

'It's the only reason I didn't go completely mad from the Dementors in Azkaban. Though it was a close thing.' The ex-convict admitted.

Harry let out a sigh and told Sirius everything that had happened. The third task, the graveyard, the Hall of the Brave, Godric Gryffindor in his head.

Sirius sat through the entire story, without interrupting even once.

'What can Moony and I do to help?' Sirius asked once Harry finished.

Harry stared at his Godfather.

'Really? That's it? No questioning my sanity?' he asked and Sirius laughed.

'No pup, none of that. You mustn't have noticed it yet, but you are giving off power like a glacier gives off the cold. You weren't doing that the last time I saw you. It's even obvious you know a decent amount of Occlumency, even though no one would have taught you.' Sirius said, looking into Harry's green eyes.

'So, pup. What can we do to help?' Sirius repeated with a smirk.

'Help me prepare for the coming war. Not just with Voldemort, but these other spirits.' Harry said, his gaze meeting Sirius'.

'We'll start in the morning pup, I've got some great ideas, just know that you can use magic in this house Harry, it's shielded from the ministry. But tonight, send out some letters to your friends and rest. We're going to have a big day tomorrow.' Sirius said before standing, ruffling Harry's mop of hair and leaving the room.

Harry sat on the bed, deep in thought.

'_Well, that went well young one. I think you chose correctly in that one. The man is dedicated to you.' _Godric's voice echoed through his mind and Harry smiled, nodding to himself. He shook his head and walked to a writing desk on the side of the room, beneath a window.

He sat down to see everything he would need to write.

_Ron,_

_Hey mate, just wanted to let you know that I'm staying with Sirius this summer. I hope you enjoy the time away from school and everything. I hope the twins don't pick on you too much._

_Harry._

Harry put the letter aside, shaking his head at himself. He knew Ron was unlikely to reply to him, he was always pretty useless over the summer, but figured it was the least he could do.

_Hermione,_

_How are you? I'm staying with Sirius this summer which should be great. It seems he has heaps of plans for what we'll be getting up to. So hopefully it'll be fun._

_I hope you enjoy your summer away, you were going somewhere with your parents, weren't you? Don't worry, I'll get my homework done in the first few days and will probably get some studying done between whatever Sirius has planned for us. I'm being responsible I swear._

_Harry._

Harry put the letter next to Ron's, knowing that Hermione would likely not be exchanging letters as much this summer as usual as she would be on a holiday with her parents. He was glad for her, he wanted her to enjoy herself and he hoped she could keep that connection to her parents he knew she had. She had always tried to downplay it, probably to spare him the pain of seeing something he couldn't have. But he was glad that at least someone had that connection.

He pulled out a third piece of parchment and considered what he wanted to say.

_Fleur,_

_How are you? Have you settled in back home yet? _

_My Godfather was wrongfully imprisoned when I was named the Boy Who Lived, because of the events of the third task however he has been released and I am now staying with him._

_Also because of that night, I am having my Godfather Sirius help me prepare for the next time I am attacked. Anything more detailed will have to wait for a later time but suffice to say that every year I've been in Hogwarts someone or something has tried to kill me. I want to be prepared for the next time it happens._

_I hope this letter finds you and your family well and I hope to hear from you soon._

_Harry._

Harry sat back in his chair, letting out a deep breath and stretching his body. He heard several satisfying pops in his shoulders and back as he stretched and felt his body relax.

A soft hoot beside him took his attention as Hedwig watched him from her cage.

'Oh Hedwig, I'm sorry. I should have let you out of that ages ago.' He groaned as he got up to release her.

As he opened the cage, Hedwig hopped up to his shoulder and bopped her head to his and gave a soft hoot. He walked back to the writing desk and rummaged through his trunk sitting between him and the bed until he found some owl treats.

Spreading a handful of the treats across the table, Harry half watched as Hedwig hopped around the table to find each treat. By the time she finished, Harry had prepared the letters to his friends and attached them to a now happy Hedwig who held out her leg to him.

'Okay girl, can you take Hermione her letter first? Then Ron, then Fleur. You can wait at Fleur's place for a response if you like, I'm sure she would appreciate how pretty you are.' He said and the owl preened, giving him an _Of course she would_ expression.

Not for the first time, Harry wondered quite how intelligent Hedwig truly was.

With a smile, Harry watched as his owl flew out the window and disappeared into the afternoon sky. He let out a breath before moving to the bed, lying down to work on his Occlumency until it got dark.

* * *

The next morning Harry woke in his new bed, disoriented at first, not knowing where he was. But then the memories of the previous day came to him. He glanced outside to see the sky still dark, his watch didn't work since the second task and there were no clocks in the room.

He had had a long-time training with Godric in his mindscape, so he had assumed a full night had passed in the real world, but the house was silent around him.

Groaning to himself Harry rolled out of bed and moved on silent feet across the hall to the bathroom, Sirius had given him a full tour of the house after they'd had dinner the night before.

After Harry had gotten ready, he'd moved down to the kitchen, tempted by the smells as Dobby levitated a large plate of food to a spot for Harry, cutlery following behind the plate.

'Great Master Harry Potter sir is awake early. So, Dobby must ensure he is fed and ready for the day.' Dobby greeted as the little elf clicked his fingers and Harry watched in fascinated horror as a glass of orange juice flew toward him, only to slow and land without spilling a drop near his plate.

'Dobby, you didn't have to do all this. Shouldn't you be sleeping?' Harry asked.

Dobby froze, his eyes widening.

'Did Dobby upset the Great Master Harry Potter sir? I is so sorry.' Dobby cried, wringing his ears and looking for something to hit his head against.

Harry leapt from his seat and knelt beside Dobby.

'Dobby, I forbid you to punish yourself.' He barked and Dobby froze, his eyes watering.

'Dobby, you are my friend. You did nothing wrong, in fact you did everything right. I'm sorry that I don't understand House-Elves as much as I should. I don't want to upset you by saying something stupid.' Harry admitted, his green eyes meeting Dobby's blue.

Dobby's lip quivered, then the little creature nodded.

'Great Master Harry Potter sir is the greatest master…' the little elf paused before nodding to himself.

'Great Master Harry Potter sir should go back to eating. Dobby has much work to do and will make his great master proud.' Dobby said with a small smile, before it turned into a grin.

'and perhaps even teach him about House-Elves once chores are done.'

* * *

As Harry was finishing his breakfast, Sirius arrived in the kitchen, letting out a great yawn.

'Something smells amazing.' He said before he froze, seeing Dobby cooking up a storm in the kitchen and Harry sitting at the bench with the last of his bacon and eggs.

'Morning Sirius. Dobby has decided that we need to be looked after, which I'm pretty sure he's right about. I mean I was planning on maybe some toast depending on what I could scrounge up.' Harry began before taking a drink of his juice.

'But, well. Dobby has made sure we eat properly, which is probably more for you than for me.' He finished as he eyed Sirius' skeletal appearance.

'Hey pup, you're almost as bad as I am, and you've been at school eating Hogwarts food all year.' Sirius scowled, then turned and gave a suspicious glance at Dobby.

'Dobby, have you included any potions with breakfast?' Sirius asked and Dobby froze, only for a moment.

Harry looked between the two in confusion.

'What am I missing?' Harry asked the elf and ex-con.

Dobby turned, his gaze rivetted on the floor.

'Dobby retrieved a series of potions from Madame Pomphrey at Hogwarts at request of the Headmaster. The potions were to make you both strong.' Dobby admitted, shame in his tone.

Harry sighed and noticed Sirius watching the house-elf with suspicion.

'Dobby, can I ask you to inform us when you are doing or want to do something for us out of the ordinary like this? I don't have a problem with it. But not telling us makes me a bit nervous. Can you do that Dobby?' Harry asked, watching as the little elf nodded.

'Dobby, you are still my friend and I know you are trying to look after me. But remember when you tried to save my life with a bludger? Please just let me know before you try to do anything like that, please?' he continued, and Dobby nodded before disappearing with a crack.

'Harry…' Sirius started, before he stopped and sat next to Harry at the kitchen bench and taking a bite of his breakfast.

'Harry, I know you won't want to hear this, but House-Elves need to be given clear instructions. They're not human and they don't think like we do. If you give them leeway with their instructions, they tend to act in strange ways.' He trailed off, taking another bite.

'Do I want to know what you meant by saving your life with a bludger?' Sirius asked and Harry let out a bark-like laugh.

'Oh, yeah that was in my second year. Dobby was trying to warn me about Lucius Malfoy's plan to open the Chamber of Secrets using Voldemort's diary. But the problem was, he couldn't actually tell me anything of use. So he tried to get me away from Hogwarts, by any means necessary.' Harry paused, then shook his head.

'Okay Sirius, I see your point. Dobby isn't human and thinks differently than we do, it made perfect sense to him to save my life by inflicting maiming injuries that would force me out of Hogwarts.' Harry grimaced.

He paused as an owl pecked on the window in the kitchen, wanting to get in.

'Harry, there is money on the windowsill, pay the bird would you?' Sirius said as Harry got up to let in the bird who dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on the bench after Harry gave it a few knuts.

The owl flew away as Harry moved back to his seat, opening the paper to see the front page with a story on the ongoing Inferi menace.

'What's there?' Sirius asked as he worked to devour his food.

Harry skimmed through the article and sighed.

'It's just going through the Inferi Menace that is sweeping the world. Asking what the Ministry is doing about it. They also talk about the three wraith sightings and a trail of victims left behind, drained of their magic.' Harry explained, then a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

'Sirius, what can you tell me about wraiths? Everyone keeps saying wraiths, but I haven't come across them in any books so far.' He asked, causing Sirius to sigh and push his empty plate away before turning to face him.

'Okay Harry, Dementors are a type of wraith, a minor wraith.' The ex-con explained, waiting for Harry to follow.

Harry watched Sirius in concern. Dementors were a _minor_ wraith?

Sirius gave Harry a grim smile.

'Yes, they are considered minor wraiths. Voldemort, from what you've described, has been a wraith the past fourteen years.'

Harry froze.

'These three wraiths in the prophet are the ones who escaped from Tartarus.' Harry breathed.

'_I believe so young one. We must begin preparations.'_ Godric's voice echoed in his mind.

Sirius shook himself.

'Enough of this pup, it's time we start our training.' He said with a wide grin.

Suddenly, Harry wasn't sure it was a good idea to involve Sirius.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Strong Start

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing that you may recognise.

**Chapter 5: A Strong Start.**

The basement of twelve Grimmauld place was lit from a series of bright spells. Jets of scarlet, of yellow and cerulean flashed across the room from Harry's wand, punctuated his shouts.

On the other side of the room, Sirius stood, batting away Harry's spells as if they were of no consequence.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Sirius' smirk and fired disarming hexes, leg locker jinxes even a few bludgeoning hexes. But it was approaching ten minutes of constant spell-casting and Harry felt his eyes growing heavy from all the magic he had been using, the drain on himself was more than he had expected.

Sirius had yet to fire a single spell, content to just bat away Harry's spells.

Harry knew he was on his last legs, so he focussed his magic, his mind on one final spell. He channelled the anger he felt over not being better, of failing Cedric, his fear of losing his friends the next time trouble found him.

He forced all his emotion into a single spell.

'_Expelliarmus_!' he called, the spell flew out his wand with the force of a cannon, forcing his hand back from the recoil.

Harry felt a searing heat in his wand hand, and he dropped it. The wand clattering on the ground, smoking while he held his burnt hand against his chest. It was already an angry red.

Harry saw Sirius shield the spell; a glowing golden shield that shattered as his spell crashed into it. Sirius wore a calculating glint in his eye, followed by a wide grin as the man saw Harry drop to his knees beside his wand, still too hot to touch.

Harry's gaze was locked on his smoking wand.

'Sirius, what happened?' he asked, worry in his voice.

Sirius barked a laugh, his eyes sparkling.

'Oh, nothing to worry about pup. But it was something cool.' The ex-con said, a wide grin on his face.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked, taking deep breaths, trying to hold off the heaviness of his eyelids.

'That last spell of yours is stronger than anything your dad ever sent my way. He could never beat my shield, well, not with one spell.' Sirius strode to Harry and plopped himself on the floor in front of his Godson, his legs crossed.

'I'm very proud of you pup, we've got some work to do so we can get you ready for everything, but you've got a solid grounding. Especially considering you've only had one good defence teacher, not including a Death Eater.' He paused, rubbing his goatee in consideration.

Harry was still staring at his wand, his non burnt hand reaching out to touch it, only to shy away from the heat still coming off it.

'But Sirius, why is my wand still too hot?'

'That's because you forced too much magic through it at once. I'll be showing you how to be more efficient with your spell-casting in the next few days, this was just to see where you were at.' Sirius said with a smile before standing, pulling Harry to his feet.

'Now pup, let's get that burn looked at and have a quick break while your wand cools down.' Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder leading him out of the basement.

The basement reverted to its previous configuration as the two left up the stairs. Stone tables came up out from the stone floors and before Sirius left the room, he waved his wand and potions equipment flew onto the stone tables from cupboards and drawers throughout the room. As the two made their way up the stairs, the room had transformed from an open, warded duelling chamber into a bright professional looking potions laboratory.

Harry scowled at the plate of breads and cheeses Dobby placed in front of him as he plopped down onto the bench beside Sirius who dug into his meal.

'Harry, you did well down there. I'm sure that there's no other kid your age who could take you.' Sirius said between mouthfuls, then let out a moan as he ate another piece of fresh bread.

'Dobby, this is amazing.' He added to a blushing Dobby who continued his work in the kitchen.

'Sirius, I don't want to be good for my age. I need to be better than the most powerful wizards and witches in history. I need to beat Voldemort and Salazar bloody Slytherin, and who knows who else.' Harry growled, his frustration giving way to despair.

'_Even the greatest started somewhere young one.'_ Godric intoned before going quiet once more.

Harry nodded, taking a breath to calm himself.

'Sirius, how can I get better?'

'We will train in magic every morning until you drop from exhaustion. This will improve your magical core which is already way stronger than mine was at your age.' Sirius paused, smiling at Harry.

'This magical training will condition your magic to being used, it will help to make your spell-casting more efficient so you can get more spells out before you tire.' He paused, dipping the bread into a small bowl of olive oil, a shudder going through him as he ate it.

'Dobby, seriously, this is amazing.' He added before turning back to Harry.

'Harry, uh, can Godric hear us?' Sirius asked, seeing Harry's nod and raised eyebrow he continued.

'If I can presume to give a suggestion to Godric Gryffindor, uh, I think if the two of you work on Occlumency and your spell repertoire and any other secrets you want to give him.' Sirius asked.

'_I think you made a wise choice with telling him young one, he is quick and understands priorities.'_ Godric said and Harry could feel approval coming from the spirit.

'He says it sounds like a good idea Sirius, but then what will we be doing?' Harry asked, cocking his head to the side.

Sirius grinned.

'Well in the mornings we'll be working on increasing your magical skill, efficiency, developing your core. But in the afternoons, Moony will work on your physical ability. Making you work out and get stronger, faster, fitter.' Sirius beamed and Harry groaned.

'Well, I suppose I have high goals, I can't expect anything less than that.' Harry said, before noticing a mischievous grin on his Godfathers face.

'What?' Harry deadpanned.

'Well, can Godric take over your body in normal circumstances, or only in emergencies?' Sirius asked.

'I'm pretty sure I can give him control whenever I like, why?' Harry sent Sirius a suspicious glance as he set to work on his bread and dips.

'Can I duel Godric? For training purposes of course.'

Harry felt Godric's amusement flow through his body and couldn't help a slight smirk from showing on his face.

'_I am happy to do so young one, for entertainment purposes of course.'_ Godric chuckled.

Harry grinned at Sirius before finishing his last piece of bread.

'Yes, I'd like to see my body beat you into the ground Sirius.' Harry smirked at Sirius who returned it.

The two made their way back down to the basement and it transformed back into a duelling room with a wave of Sirius' wand. Harry picked up his wand from the ground, now cool to the touch.

'_Ready young one?'_ Godric's voice echoed through his mind and Harry nodded, a smirk on his face.

Then Harry felt a curious shift in his body. He could still hear, smell and see everything but he no longer controlled it. Harry tried to move his limbs which he knew were there, but it was like he was disconnected from his body.

Sirius wore a wide grin as he smirked at Harry, or rather Godric controlling Harry's body.

'Are we ready to go?' the Lord Black asked, twirling his wand in his hand.

Harry felt his body raise his wand toward Sirius and watched in awe as he fired countless spells without words or wand motions, it was a steady stream of spells and Harry had no idea what any of them were.

He watched in fascination as Sirius leapt across the room, ducking and dodging, rolling and shielding. It was obvious that Sirius was being overwhelmed after only seconds.

Twenty seconds later, Sirius lay bound in chains, petrified and stunned in front of Harry who felt control of his body return to him as Godric receded in his mind with a soft mental chuckle.

Harry knelt next to Sirius.

'_Finite Incantatem_.' He murmured and the spells on his godfather faded.

'_Ennervate_.' He continued and Sirius blinked in surprise before a beaming grin covered his face.

Harry helped the man stand and Sirius beamed further.

'Harry, that was so cool. I still can't believe that I fought a Hogwarts founder.' Sirius said with a wide grin.

Harry grinned back at Sirius.

'_Young one, you still have a long way to go before your body can handle the spells, I want you to use.'_ Godric's dry voice invaded his mind.

Sirius caught Harry's confused expression.

'What's wrong pup?'

Harry frowned and cocked his head at Sirius before translating from Godric.

Sirius' face lit up.

Sirius stared into Harry's eyes, but Harry knew that Sirius was trying to look at Godric.

'Do you mean Battle Magic?' Sirius asked, Harry blinked in surprise.

Harry felt Godric's chuckle in his mind and continued translating.

'Yes Sirius, Godric does mean Battle Magic. He'll teach it to me once my body and magic are strong enough for it.' Harry translated before sighing.

'Being a translator is hard.' He groaned.

Over the next week of the summer holidays, Harry spend his waking hours training with Sirius and Remus or taking a break from training on the couch getting to know them better. They talked about their times in Hogwarts, stories of James and Lily getting together to Sirius' escapades with various ladies. The two marauders discussed their favourite pranks they had played on the teachers and students of Hogwarts.

The two men also got a first-hand account of all of Harry's adventures in Hogwarts, from the Philosopher's Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, a joint retelling of his third year with all three of their experiences and every event between.

Harry struggled to begin the tale of his fourth year, the memory of Cedric still too close in his mind.

Harry was surprised when Sirius and Remus both began telling Harry about the Order of the Phoenix, a vigilante group led by Dumbledore in the last war. They told him about all the friends they had lost during the war.

Harry wasn't surprised when the two tried to omit the traitorous marauder from their stories, but at times they couldn't and the expressions of hatred on their faces when the name of Peter Pettigrew was said aloud made a shiver run up Harry spine.

After hearing their tales of loss, Harry couldn't hold back the story of his fourth year, and he went into as much detail as he could, starting at the Quidditch world cup and his nightmares about Voldemort. He explained Ron's betrayal and his being chosen as a champion, causing much of the school to turn on him.

With a laugh, Harry told the two men about being interrogated by the headmasters and officials of the tournament, about Fleur's dismissal of him and Viktor's ambivalence. He discussed the tasks and how he had felt during them, how he had honestly believed the second task was a life and death situation for the hostages. With a blush he told the two marauders about Fleur's actions after saving her sister from the lake.

He had received a great deal of teasing for his blush. But what else could he do? She was a gorgeous young woman.

After the first week of his holidays, Harry felt as though it was the best holiday of his life. He was spending time with his Godfather and honorary uncle. He was having fun learning about their lives and that of his parents and he was being productive with his time.

Harry knew that he was being pushed to the limits of his body and magic, he finished each day exhausted, but he felt happy with everything that he achieved each day.

In his mindscape, Godric had been pushing him to develop his Occlumency far beyond what Sirius and Remus could achieve. But he had been putting at least ten hours of work into it while his body slept every night. Godric was also teaching him various spells, many of which had been lost between his time and the present.

Harry taught many of these spells to Sirius and Remus, making the week into a strange boot camp for the three of them.

When Harry wasn't training with or hanging out with the remaining marauders or Godric. He tried to keep in contact with his friends. He had gotten nothing from Ron, and Hermione had sent a few letters before she left to go on a holiday with her parents.

But what he looked forward to, were his letters from Fleur. Her reply to his first somewhat awkward letter set the standard for the rest of their letters.

Harry had reread it more times than he could remember, waiting for her next letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_First, I would like to once again extend my sincere condolences for Cedric. I know he was a friend of yours, and while I also grieve for his loss, I cannot say I fully understand what you are going through. However, I am here for you, I will do what I can to help you through this._

_Next, I would like to thank you once more for saving my sister Gabriele from the lake in the second task. It shames me that I didn't thank you properly in person, I am ashamed to admit that my indecision held me back._

_I would like to thank you for getting me out of the maze, it seems that the maze was far more dangerous than any of us first believed and I am glad to have made it through, even though it means I lost the tournament. I am thankful to be alive and for that I have you to thank._

_Now, I would like to get to know you Harry Potter. I know all the rumours spread through your school and the papers. But I don't care about them, I want to know you, not the Boy-Who-Lived._

_I will begin, my name is Fleur Isabelle Delacour and I am seventeen years old. In the next school year, I will return to Beauxbatons for six months while I continue my studies for my elective classes that Hogwarts could not provide. I will then complete my NEWTs. _

_I have always dreamed of being an Enchanter like my mother, but to do that I will have to gain experience in curse breaking and disenchanting. Which means I will probably work for Gringotts, whether in France or England I do not know. _

_Though I have an idea, it is still too early to know._

_My mother, Apolline Delacour is an Enchantress of national renown. She works with some of the greatest enchanted items in France and is very much sought after for her skills. _

_My father, Dominique Delacour is the French Ambassador at the English Ministry of Magic and holds some sway in both governments._

_My sister, Gabrielle Delacour will be in her third year when she returns to Beauxbatons. She is very fond of you, even before your heroics in the second task. I think she has wanted to marry you for most of her life._

_While I joke at Gabrielle's adoration of you. I cannot say that I was always immune to the dreams of a young girl. At one time I dreamed of meeting the great Boy-Who-Lived. But real life has a habit of tearing down dreams. _

_My time at Beauxbatons was not as idyllic as I would have liked. My heritage makes growing up in a school very difficult. _

_While I was always at the top of my class, I had no friends after my third year. _

_They all left me._

_How much do you know of Veela? I will assume the bare essentials. Veela stop growing between eleven and fifteen years of age. So, in my third and fourth years, the other girls didn't want to spend time with a _leetle girl_ while they were trying to find boyfriends and act like adults._

_In my fifth year, my Veela heritage came to the fore and within six months I was more mature than any other girl in the school, my allure was out of control and there were many occasions where it got me in trouble with boys who wanted what I would not give them and from girls whose boyfriends left them to be with me, unable to resist the effects of the allure. _

_I of course sent them away, but from then onward instead of being ignored by the school, half of the school wanted to get in my pants and the other wanted to murder me for stealing their boyfriends._

_None of the boys wanted to know me. They simply wanted to sate their lust. _

_That is why I was so surprised that my allure had little effect on you. Did you have any exposure to Veela before you met me?_

_That is one of many reasons why I would like to know the real Harry Potter, the man I have seen do amazing things. Not the boy from the stories. _

_It is said in Veela society that humans unaffected by the allure are rare to the point of non-existent. So few Veela are married, most can never find a partner unaffected by the allure._

_I am sorry for the long letter; I hope that I didn't throw too much information at you. But I felt that you should know. I hope you will be comfortable to ask me any questions, about anything._

_With love,_

_Fleur._


	6. Chapter 6 - Godric's Hollow

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 6: Godric's Hollow.**

Harry sat at his writing desk in his room. He stared at the letter he wrote for what must have been the hundredth time. The letter held more about him than he had ever considered sharing before. But after Fleur's letter, he couldn't think of any other way to continue their correspondence than to let her in, to trust.

_Dear Fleur,_

_Thank you for your previous letter. I appreciate your support, us Tri-Wizard champions need to stick together right? _

_I guess I can't say that anyone would have saved your sister in the lake; the others didn't. _

_So instead I will tell you it was my pleasure, I couldn't live with myself if anything had happened to her. But I have to disagree about you not thanking me in person, I think your reaction was more than enough thanks. I'm glad that you love your sister that much._

_I saw some Veela at the Quidditch world Cup last year? They were the Bulgarian mascots/cheerleaders, right? I noticed most of the guys around me acting foolish, but I don't understand why they did? _

_Was it because of the allure? What is it? How does it work? _

_As for the maze, I would like to think you would have done the same for me in that situation. That maze was a nightmare. But now I just wish that I had taken the Cup myself, leaving Cedric behind, then he would still be alive. _

_But you're not interested in my self-pity or thinking about what if's. You want to get to know the real Harry Potter correct? Well the first thing is that everything in the papers and in the rumours are rubbish._

_My name is Harry James Potter and I am fifteen years old in July. I will return to Hogwarts in September to conduct my fifth year, unless I pass my early OWLs that I am taking these holidays, in which case I will do my sixth year. _

_I have no idea what I will do after school, my relatives, who I lived with until last summer did not encourage me to have dreams, to want to achieve anything, to strive to become better. _

_It was not a positive environment in which to grow up. _

_They are muggles, and they hate magic with a passion. Their dream I think is to stamp out magic wherever it may be. So, it's a good thing none of them are smart enough to get into politics. I shudder to think of what Britain would become if my relatives became high enough in politics to influence anything important._

_Anyway, enough of that._

_I have considered being an Auror, my friend Ron and I thought it would be a cool job. But after thinking about it, I really don't want to fight dark wizards for the rest of my life. You saw Professor Moody, right? Even though he was an imposter, I still wouldn't want to turn out like him._

_So, until I can think of a career that I want to do, I think I will explore the world after Hogwarts, according to my Godfather who I am living with now I have inherited enough to explore the world for a while. I want to see both the muggle world and the magical world. The only things I know about the magical world are what I've seen. _

_Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, Hogsmeade. _

_There is so much I haven't seen, so much I don't know about the world that I feel I need to see it, to experience it._

_I never knew my parents, but from the stories I have been told, they were exceptional. My father was an Auror and my mother had achieved her charms mastery and worked with experimental magic. _

_Though, they never had a chance to do everything they wanted to do, they got married and had me when they were just out of Hogwarts._

_I never knew I was magical until my eleventh birthday. _

_Until that day I was just the unwanted child in the Dursley household. My relatives told me that my parents had died in a car accident and that they were drunks and drug addicts. I honestly thought my name was 'freak' until the age of six when my teacher in muggle primary school got upset with me for not responding in the roll call. That's when I found out my name was Harry Potter._

_My time at Hogwarts sounds like yours in Beauxbatons. From the first day at the school I was alternately worshipped as a child prodigy or reviled as an upcoming Dark Lord. _

_In my first year the wraith of Voldemort came into the school possessing a professor to steal the Philosophers Stone which was being kept in the school for safety, apparently. I and my friends Ron and Hermione solved the puzzles, and, in the end, I stopped the possessed professor. Coming face to face with the man who killed my parents, well his face was sticking out the back of the possessed Professors head, so either way I was face to face with the man._

_I killed a man that day._

_I didn't realise it at the time, nor did I until last year. _

_But for some reason, Voldemort, residing in the possessed Professor couldn't bear my touch. Dumbledore said it was something to do with my mother's sacrifice. The man's skin burnt in contact with mine, so I held my hands on his face and he burned. Voldemort's wraith escaped that day and now he finally found a way back to our world. _

_My second year involved a cursed diary that possessed a student, the sister of a friend of mine and the Chamber of Secrets, a secret part of the castle that was created by one of the school's founders. Nobody had ever found the Chamber before or the monster inside it. _

_But it was opened, and the monster was petrifying students. _

_My friends and I discovered the location of the Chamber and what the monster was and because the Professors didn't believe us, or were not present, we went to stop the monster who had by now taken my friends sister hostage. We didn't know she was possessed by this stage. _

_Also, at this stage of the year the entire school thought I was evil incarnate because I am a Parselmouth, I can speak to snakes. This ability gave me entrance to the Chamber, and we were split up, leaving me to fight the monster myself. _

_Long story short, Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes helped me out and together we killed an eighty-foot Basilisk, I used a sword and Fawkes used his claws to gouge out the monster's eyes._

_The Basilisk bit me at the end of fight and before I died, Fawkes cried in my wound, saving my life. By then the Diary that had possessed my friend's sister had created a body, the teenaged version of Voldemort, named Tom Marvolo Riddle, while he was in Hogwarts. _

_From what I know now, the Diary held a part of his soul, and he had been moments away from becoming whole once more. But I stabbed the diary with the basilisk fang that had bitten me, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The teenaged Voldemort faded away with the Diary damaged and my friend's sister recovered._

_My third year involved a prisoner breaking out of Azkaban, an old friend of my parents teaching at Hogwarts and the man who betrayed my parents to Voldemort. Dementors surrounded the school that year and they tried to kill me on multiple occasions. I learnt the Patronus charm and saved my friends from a swarm of Dementors when they attacked us._

_My fourth year, well you know what happened as you were there for most of it. _

_Anyway, I just felt that you needed to know about the real me. You wanted to know and now that you do, I understand if you'd rather not. Trouble follows me wherever I go, and I don't want to be the cause of you getting hurt. _

_I'm sorry for how long this is. Once I started, I found I just couldn't stop writing. _

_It's funny, I've never told anyone any of this. Ron and Hermione know about the stuff that happened at Hogwarts because they were a part of it, but they don't know the rest of it. I felt it was the least I could do after you opened up to me. That and it just feels easy to open up to you, regardless, it's a strange feeling that I'm not used to._

_Harry._

Harry leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, debating with himself whether he should send the letter. His musings were cut short as Hedwig flew in the window, back from hunting, or whatever she had been doing. Another owl flew into his room moments later with a letter and Harry took it before the owl flew away. Hedwig moved to her perch and closed her eyes with a soft hoot.

Harry picked up the letter and found it was from the Diggory's. His hands shook as he read it, letting out a sigh as it told him they appreciated his letter and bringing his body back for them to bury. That they appreciated him telling them the story of the graveyard and that he has their support, that Voldemort will not get away with taking their son from them.

He quickly took a piece of parchment and wrote a response, telling them he appreciated their support, that he won't rest until Voldemort pays for his actions. The monster has a strange obsession with him, so he can't just sit back and wait for someone else to defeat him.

Looking over the reply he nodded before folding the letter up, preparing it to be delivered.

'Hedwig?' Harry asked, the owl opened one of her yellow eyes, peering at him.

'When you're ready, can you deliver these?' he asked with a smile and Hedwig gave a soft hoot and a nod. Before closing her eye again.

With a smile Harry stretched and got up from his writing desk. He walked to his wardrobe and picked his clothes for the day. For the first time in his life he had a wardrobe full of clothes that fit him, a present from Sirius.

After he showered and prepared for the day, he made his way downstairs and saw both Dobby and Kreacher making breakfast while Sirius and Remus sat at the kitchen bench eating breakfast.

Harry gave a questioning glance to Sirius about Kreacher who shrugged and patted the chair next to him.

Harry sat down and Sirius whispered in his ear that he'd tell him later. Then the man pushed the Daily Prophet in front of Harry.

**_Inferi Menace Continues!_**

_Dear reader, the Inferi Menace that has plagued this country recently still continues. _

_The Aurors are valiantly combatting this threat to our world and the Obliviator's are working overtime to keep the muggles from discovering our world, but still there is mass panic in both worlds as the Inferi Menace continues to grow worldwide._

_Due to the Ministry's lack of funding for the Auror office for the past ten years, Britain's Aurors, once the best in the world, are now being found wanting. _

_According to Amelia Bones, Director of Magical Law Enforcement, we simply do not have enough Aurors, forcing us to spread those we have too thin to protect all of Britain effectively. Her office has been forced to bring in Squibs employed in Muggle Law enforcement and Military to help with the crisis._

_Even with the steps taken by Amelia Bones, there are parts of Britain that have fallen to the Inferi. Multiple villages and small towns have been abandoned by magicals and muggles alike, now only the Inferi are present. The Isle of Man, Monmouth and Abergavenny have all been abandoned, and there are likely more towns that we don't know of yet. _

_Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge yesterday announced that he has contacted other ministries around Europe, and we have been informed that the Inferi Menace is not unique to the UK. _

_It is global, even far off communities like Australia are struggling to contain their own Inferi outbreaks._

_This reporter asks why this global event has occurred. Does it have anything to do with the story that Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore have told the public, that the Dark Lord Voldemort has returned? _

_Dear readers, I will not rest until I have found out._

_Lara Lynley._

Harry stared at the article, his face white.

'Sirius? What's going on out there?' he asked, he hated how weak his voice sounded.

Sirius sighed.

'Go to page three pup.'

Harry did, his hands shaking as he read through the article.

**_Mysterious bodies drained of Magic._**

_Over the past few days there have been reports of Wizards and Witches being found drained of their magic, leaving them near death because of their magic being stolen from them. _

_It is a little-known fact that when a witch or wizard has their magic drained from them, they almost always die within days as their body fails._

_Witches and Wizards are closely connected with their magic. _

_There have been reports of similar occurrences in Bulgaria in addition to the Wizards and Witches found drained of their magic in Scotland and Wales. _

_It is the belief of this reporter that these reports are connected to the wraiths that have also been reported in the same areas. Are these mysterious attacks the work of the wraiths?_

_Rest assured that I will keep working on this._

_Evan Walters._

Harry put the paper down on the bench.

'_I believe that that reporter is correct young one. But we are not yet ready to face any of these wraiths. But you will be, I promise.'_ Godric spoke in Harry's mind. Harry frowned and clenched his jaw.

Sirius lay a hand on Harry's shoulder.

'I take it that Godric agrees with the reporter then?' Sirius asked, a grim expression on his face. At Harry's nod he continued.

'We will do everything we can to stop these wraiths, but to do that we need to train you up, prepare you for this conflict.'

Harry nodded.

'What first?'

* * *

June turned into July, with Harry spending his waking hours training with Sirius and Remus and writing letters to his friends. His sleeping hours were spent with Godric working on new spells and developing his Occlumency.

Harry woke, getting ready like every other morning since the summer started. He made his way downstairs to find Sirius and Remus sitting at the kitchen bench, but unlike normal, in between them was an empty chair with two boxes, wrapped in bright colours.

He cocked his head at the marauders, suspicion in his eyes.

It would not be the first prank the two played on him this summer.

At his expression the two men laughed.

'Happy birthday Harry!' they shouted, and Harry stared in shock.

'Wait, what? Birthday? Already?' he gaped as their laughter grew, Sirius fell off his chair holding his stomach and slapping a hand to the floor.

Harry stared at the presents. The days had blended together since they had been training, he had been working so hard with the two in front of him and with Godric in his mindscape.

Sirius wore a wide grin as he pulled himself off the floor and into his chair again.

'Enjoy your fifteenth birthday pup.'

Remus handed him a box wrapped in bright green with snitches roaming across the paper.

'Happy birthday cub, I can't believe you'd forgotten it.'

Harry grinned as he took the present from Remus and with care, he unwrapped the box to find it was a plain wooden box with a sliding lid, he pulled the lid away to reveal a wand holster to attach to his wrist. His grin grew wide as he leant over to hug the werewolf.

'Thanks, Moony, I'd always wanted to get around to getting one of these.' He smiled, fumbling to put it on, Remus chuckled and helped with the straps.

Harry marvelled at the holster and how comfortable it was.

Remus grinned.

'It's enchanted to be more comfortable than it looks and to resist any disarming spells if your wand is in it. It also has a notice me not on it, so in theory nobody will know it's there. I suppose we'll see if it works later.' The werewolf explained with a grin.

'Enough of that pup, open mine now. It's way cooler than that.' Sirius grinned at Remus as the werewolf chuckled.

Harry reached for the gift from Sirius, it was a thin, wide box wrapped in a red glossy paper with broomsticks zipping across it. An amusing cartoon version of Viktor Krum rode the broomsticks.

'Love the paper Sirius, and while the guy is a friend, we're not that close.' Harry remarked as Sirius barked out a laugh.

'Shut up and open it.' Sirius grinned as Harry shook his head and tore the wrapping to Remus' amusement.

As he opened the box Harry saw a dragonhide jacket. It was so dark it was almost black, it looked familiar and Harry cocked his head.

'It's Hungarian Horntail hide, I figured you'd enjoy the inside joke, as would your fellow champions.' Grinned Sirius and Harry laughed, holding the jacket up to inspect it.

The jacket shone in the morning light, it was such a dark green as to almost be black, but the green was only visible when the light hit it on a particular angle. Harry put the jacket on and frowned as he moved his shoulders.

'It's so light?' Harry asked, cocking his head at Sirius who grinned.

'Yup, it is resistant to magic too, but anything strong will still get through as the dragons hide itself is not resistant to magic, it's more a bleed through effect from the dragon itself. However, I doubt you'll get stabbed through the jacket, dragonhide is stupidly hard and resistant to physical attacks.' Sirius explained as Harry stared at his arms, covered in the incredibly cool jacket.

Harry hugged Sirius, then Remus again before pulling back.

'Thanks guys, these are awesome and I'm sure they'll come in real handy in the future.' Harry said, still marvelling at his jacket and holster.

Remus chuckled.

'There's no training today cub. You can't work on your birthday.'

Harry sent the two men a questioning look and they wore identical grins, the same he had seen many times on the faces of the Weasley twins.

'The Weasleys are throwing you a surprise party today, we need to keep you busy until lunch time.' Sirius said, a smirk on his face as Remus face-palmed beside him.

'Really Padfoot? It's not a surprise anymore.' Remus said before Sirius grinned.

'I'm sure Harry here can play along with it well enough, right pup?' Sirius asked with raised eyebrows.

Harry nodded, then cocked his head to the side, a slight frown on his face.

'Who organised this party?'

Sirius grinned.

'The two of us did. But because this place isn't quite ready for visitors, the Weasleys offered to host the party, they haven't seen you yet in case you had forgotten.' Sirius explained, his grin widening at Harry's suspicious expression.

He let out a sigh.

'Yes Harry, I invited your French friend and she is excited to see you again.' Sirius finished, letting out a bark-like laugh at the grin that covered Harry's face.

'Now go get changed into something nice pup, not training clothes. I've got something to show you before we go to the Weasleys.' Sirius finished before shooing Harry upstairs.

Harry shook his head with a grin and ran upstairs to his room, getting changed into the clothes he had taken from Godric's wardrobe in the Hall of the Brave. He wore his new dragonhide jacket over it instead of the open robe and glanced in the mirror on the wall of the wardrobe.

Harry gaped at what he saw looking back at him, he was taller than he was the last time he really looked in a mirror, he had filled out and he narrowed his eyes as he noticed he didn't look like he was fifteen, more like eighteen.

'Godric, do you know anything about this?' Harry asked, his eyes still narrowed at his body.

'_Of course I do, young one. The rituals I have been having you conduct have been enhancing your body, not only making you and your magic stronger and faster. But they have been improving your body able to handle the abilities we are developing.' _Godric paused before letting out a mental chuckle.

'_You really thought a scrawny fifteen-year-old body could handle using Battle Magic?'_ Godric asked and Harry blushed, glaring at the mirror with his jaw clenched.

'Well, you didn't need to be so blunt about it.' Harry grumbled.

Godric's only reply was a mental laugh that gave Harry a light headache.

Harry shook his head and left the walk-in wardrobe, heading downstairs to see Sirius and Remus waiting for him.

'Well pup, you clean up well when you bother to do it.' Sirius grinned and chuckled as Harry gave a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.

'Okay pup, come with me, I'll show you something before we leave.' Sirius said as Remus nodded to Harry before wandering away to sit on the couch in the lounge room.

Sirius led Harry through the house to the Black family tapestry, taking the entire wall of one room.

'The Black family leads all the way back before the founding of the Ministry, which is why we're known as one of the Most Noble and Ancient Houses. The Blacks weren't always like they have been in the last few generations, they were once one of the greatest of the Houses.' Sirius paused, taking a deep breath.

'I plan to bring the House back to its previous greatness. Before it became synonymous with Dark Lords and dark magic. But because of Azkaban, I've discovered that I will never have children. Not of my blood anyway.' Sirius paused, putting a hand on Harry shoulder.

Harry turned to look at Sirius, smiling at the small smile the other man wore.

'Which is why I have designated you as my heir pup. You are the heir of two Most Ancient and Noble Houses. The Potters are just as old and powerful as the Blacks.' Sirius paused and Harry gaped at him.

'But what do you mean? How can I be your heir, is it because you're my Godfather?' Harry asked, his mind racing at the thoughts rushing through him.

Sirius gave a half smile and ruffled Harry's hair.

'No, the Black's in the last hundred years made sure that the Heir had to be blood related, so no adoptions, which includes Godchildren.' Sirius answered then nodded to a name to Harry's left on the wall.

Harry followed his gaze and saw a familiar name.

'Who is Henry Potter?' Harry asked and Sirius grinned.

'He was your great grandfather. I never saw the Potter family tree, that would be at Potter manor and that was destroyed in the last war. But Henry Potter married into my family, my great aunt, Dorea Black.' Sirius said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

'Your grandparents died of dragon pox while your mum was pregnant with you, so they never got to meet you. But I heard in the war that Voldemort hunted down Henry and Dorea personally, I always thought it was because great aunt Dorea had married a Potter, which to my messed-up family was a bad thing.' Sirius paused.

'Now that I think about it, at the end of the war with Grindelwald, the Potters were amongst the greatest of the families. But over the course of the war with Voldemort, only you remained. I think he had a personal grudge with your family. Maybe it was just because the Potters were so powerful, he wanted to remove the threat from them?' Sirius trailed off, deep in thought as he stared at the portrait.

Harry felt a tear running down his face and wiped it away.

'So, we're actually related?' Harry asked, hope in his voice.

Sirius gave a soft grin and nodded.

'Yeah, distantly, I'm kind of a great uncle I suppose.' Sirius admitted before Harry leapt at him, engulfing Sirius in a hug.

'Now pup, there's something else I need to show you, hold on to my arm?' Sirius asked and Harry nodded, holding Sirius' arm with both hands.

Harry's mind was still processing Sirius and his family connection before he felt himself being squeezed through a thin pipe, it was a feeling he never wanted to feel again and as the sensation left him, he opened his eyes to find himself in a quaint town.

They had appeared with a crack and Harry felt the urge to throw up for a moment before it passed.

'This place looks nice, where-' Harry paused, his question left hanging as he froze.

In front of them Harry saw a burnt house, with modern, well maintained houses on either side. Between them and the burnt house there was a sign that was too far away to read, apart from the word _Potter_.

'This house is where you spent the first year of your life. We are in a town called Godric's Hollow.' Sirius said, his hand on Harry shoulder.

Harry stared at the house, forgotten memories flashed before his eyes. Likely only because of his new skill in Occlumency. He saw the house when it was whole and undamaged, he saw the lounge room where he was held by his mother as she said something to his father, he couldn't make out what was said, but judging from the facial expressions he was being scolded for something. The memories were blurred, half illegible as they flashed past him. But the fact they were even still in his mind from being less than a year old was astounding.

'C-can we go inside?' Harry asked, hating how his voice cracked.

Sirius nodded, guiding Harry across the street and onto the footpath in front of overgrown yard. The house was dark with neglect and covered in scorch marks like there had been an explosion.

In the yard Harry could read the aged sign.

_Here lies the place that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated by the young hero Harry Potter._

Harry stared at the sign for a moment before he stepped onto the property, a somewhat overgrown footpath which led to the blackened front door. An odd shiver ran up his spine as he crossed into the property, leaving the sidewalk behind.

At the strange shiver, Harry turned to see Sirius still standing on the sidewalk.

'Sirius? You're not coming in?'

Sirius shook his head with a pained smile.

'No pup, there're wards around the property, to stop snooping wizards. Only you can enter the wards, it's your house after all.'

Harry gave a soft nod and sent a small smile to his Godfather before turning and moving to the front door. It was blackened like the rest of the house, but under the old scorch marks it was clear it had once been a pristine white, much like the rest of the house.

He pushed open the door, memories of the house meshing together before his eyes. Looking around, he stood in a sitting room, it had once held a coffee table that had lounge chairs surrounding it. Now, the furniture was shattered and spread across the room, a leg from the coffee table half lay in the kitchen through a door to his left.

The room bore scorch marks on the walls from spell fire and he saw pieces of shattered furniture spread across the room, he narrowed his eyes and knelt on the floor. A hand ran across a red stain on the carpet near the far wall and figured that much of the piece of furniture had been transfigured mid battle to account for their random placement around the room.

As he moved through the room, his gaze roamed over everything he could take in. He saw scorch marks and chunks ripped out of the walls and shattered picture frames, long since decayed.

But, still hanging on a wall he saw two tapestries hanging alongside one another. On one side, the tapestry was a dark red and bore a grey shield with a rearing lion with white wings fighting a five headed hydra, two wands crossed over a staff hung above the animals while a familiar looking sword hung horizontally below them.

The name _Potter_ was emblazoned below the sword in bold lettering.

Harry narrowed his eyes and peered at the sword on the tapestry, it was Godric Gryffindor's sword.

The second tapestry was light blue with an oak tree in the centre, being struck by a bolt of lightning. On one side of the tree, an eagle stood with wings outstretched while on the other side of the tree was a bull, rearing up on its hind legs.

_Evans_ was written beneath the tree.

Harry stared at the tapestry's, something in his memories recognised the _Evans_ family crest. But he couldn't figure out where he recognised it from. With a frown Harry turned away from the tapestry's and moved toward the staircase leading up to the bedrooms.

He found it hard to believe that it was likely in this very spot that his father duelled Voldemort before the monster went upstairs to where he assumed his room had been.

Harry felt his breath coming faster now, in short sharp gasps and his shoulders tensed. Clenching his jaw, he forced his occlumency barriers up to control his emotions. Then as he felt his breath return to normal, he let out a sigh and moved into the kitchen.

It looked like any other kitchen, though mould and grime covered most surfaces. There was a window above the sink, and he saw the back yard through it. The backyard was completely overgrown, but he could make out a swing set and what may have once been a sand pit.

To his right there was a door that led into a dining room and as Harry entered it, the room looked untouched by the magical battle that had taken place less than fourteen years before. The table was a heavy oak, still with place settings, though the cutlery and place mats were worn from age and weather. A window on his left had shattered and vines had entered the room from outside. He continued through the next door on the other side of the room, he found himself in a lounge room and back at the entrance of the house again.

There was a television that had likely exploded when the rest of the house had been damaged, drawers and bookcases lined the walls of the lounge room, upon them were picture frames, most long since shattered and were lost to decay.

But one remained, in it, his parents beamed at the camera with him in their arms.

He slid the picture into an inner pocket in his jacket and moved back to the entryway and the stairs that led up. An odd feeling sat in his mind, like something trying to come to the surface. But as he closed his eyes and focussed on it, the feeling faded. He knew Godric would be keeping silent for his sake, letting him have this moment to himself. Shaking his head to clear it, Harry moved to the stairs.

Almost without conscious thought, Harry walked past a bedroom on his right, then a bathroom on his left. He passed a second bedroom on his left that looked like a spare room but froze in place as he reached the final room on the right.

Half a door lay on the rotted carpet with _Harry's Room_ inscribed on a plaque on the ruined door, it would have been at eye height.

With slow steady steps, Harry pushed the bottom half of the door to enter what was once his bedroom.

Like much of the rest of the house, the paint had been a pristine white. Memories and the sight before him melded together, providing a confusing dual vision of the room, with reality superimposed on top of and alternating with his memories.

The window opposite him, overlooking the overgrown back yard was shattered, vines and mould spreading through the room. The rotting carpet, almost black with grime from over a decade exposed to the weather. In the centre of the room was a crib, a grimy white that had plagued his dreams for most of his life.

His earliest memory had always been in this room, the memory of a green flash.

A mobile lay in the crib, having been detached from the ceiling at some point, the mobile was created with snitches and broomsticks. A gust of wind rushed into the room, disturbing the ragged curtains that still hung over the window, though they were tattered strips of fabric that flapped in the wind.

Memories rushed into his mind, memories he had only half remembered in the presence of Dementors during his third year. Memories of Voldemort striding into the room, telling his mother to move aside.

He remembered his mother refusing Voldemort and her subsequent murder.

The memory of Voldemort sending the green flash of the killing curse at him rushed through his mind, then he remembered the pain.

Pain so intense, just the memory of it sent him to his knees, his hands clutching his head.

Harry opened his eyes; the memory of the pain was of someone else's pain. Not his own.

Harry closed his eyes and using Occlumency, entered his mindscape to search his mind for where the piece of Voldemort had resided until only weeks ago.

'Godric, can you come help me?' he called in his mind, moments later he felt the founder's presence beside him.

Harry let out a breath and opened his eyes in the mindscape.

It looked like a spherical cave, small tunnels boring into the stone around them out toward the rest of his mind. The piece of Voldemort had been insidious, sending tendrils of itself into his mind, like some invasive weed.

'Godric? What is this?' Harry asked, looking around the cave with narrowed eyes.

Godric gave a heavy sigh.

'Eventually, this soul piece would have taken you over. I am surprised it hadn't succeeded already when you were younger.'

Harry digested that nugget of information as his gaze continued around the cave before resting on three items, two of them were encased in what looked like glass.

One of the encased items was a sword with writing engraved on its side, buried in the stone floor of the cave. The second encased item was a staff, floating in the centre of the glass-like material surrounding it.

The third item was a sword he was familiar with.

Harry turned a raised eyebrow to Godric, gesturing the sword of Godric Gryffindor with its blade buried a foot into the cave floor.

'Yes, that is in fact my sword. Why it's not encased with the other two items, I don't know. But perhaps it is not encased in the glass because I am with you in your mind?' Godric mused, before holding out a hand toward Harry who had taken a step toward them.

'Hold for a moment young one. I recommend not touching those weapons any time soon. I will continue to watch them while you enjoy your birthday.' Godric said, a slight grin on his face before he sent a worried glance at the two encased weapons.

'We have training to do tonight.'

Harry opened his eyes once more in his first bedroom. Decaying after almost fourteen years of being exposed to the elements. A picture frame on a chest of drawers took his attention as he picked it up, taking the picture out of the shattered frame.

The picture was of his parents, hugging and beaming at each other. He slid the picture in his jacket before kneeling on the floor as he saw a fallen picture frame, somehow undamaged.

The framed picture of his parents hugging in the centre of Remus and Sirius. In the back of his mind, Harry figured that Peter had taken the photo of them all. He slid the framed picture into his jacket and feeling the sudden urge to leave the room now filled with heavy emotions, Harry walked down the stairs and out to see Sirius waiting for him with a sad smile.

Harry handed Sirius the framed picture and felt a tear slide down his face and was engulfed in a hug.

'Thanks pup, I gave this photo to them when they moved into this place just out of Hogwarts. I got Peter to take the picture a few days before we left. We were all so happy that day.' Sirius whispered into his ear and Harry could feel the tremors echoing through both their bodies as they struggled to contain themselves.

A few moments later, Sirius pulled back, wiping the tears from his eyes.

'Okay pup, we have one more stop before we go home.'

Harry nodded and followed, without making a sound as Sirius led them into the cemetery in the centre of the village. The silent walk lasted for five minutes as the two walked through the village until they arrived in the centre of the cemetery. A large elder tree stood before them and a grave near him read _Iolanthe Peverell_.

The name struck something inside him, but the recognition was gone as soon as it had come, forgotten as soon as Harry saw two graves at the base of the elder tree, they lay side by side.

_James Potter _and _Lily Potter._

Harry knelt between the two graves and felt more tears fall down his face. His parents, they had been faceless images in his mind until he went to Hogwarts, never having seen a picture of them at the Dursleys. His parents were so close, only feet away from him.

Heavy sobs escaped from him as he fell forward, his forehead touching the ground and his forearms flush with the ground. Great heaving gasps of air breaking through his sobs as years of turmoil erupted from him, grief that he had never felt surged from him and through it all, he felt a sense of closure slide into place.

He had never truly known what had become of them until that moment, and strangely it felt right. Harry felt a sense of peace come over him that had nothing to do with his occlumency.

As a child he had been told they died in a car crash, then the wizarding world had told him they were killed by Voldemort, now he knew.

He had seen his parents in the Mirror of Erised in his first year, but now? His world felt solid. His parents were gone, their bodies lay mere feet from him and they had loved him.

'Mum, Dad? I promise you, I will make you proud. I will stop the monster that did this, and I will help people.' Harry vowed, inside, he knew without a doubt that it was what they would have wanted.

He wiped his tears away and trailed his fingers across his parents' graves, leaving a trail of tears on the stone before standing and turning to Sirius.

Harry placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder and embraced the man whose face was also wet with tears.

'Thank you, Sirius, I'm ready to go home. I know what I'm fighting this war for now.'


	7. Chapter 7 - A Happy Birthday

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the things you recognise, much to my disappointment.

**Chapter 7: A Happy Birthday.**

Harry sat on his bed in his room, he had been there since returning from Godric's Hollow an hour before. His mind was filled with thoughts as he tried to process them.

'Godric, what did you fight for? What drove you to do everything you did?' Harry asked, silence met him for a few moments.

'_It's a long story young one. I will begin it tonight. But for now, just accept that I was trying to make a better world. A better place for my children, even before I had a family of my own, that is what I wanted to do. I had the power to change the world for the better, so I did.'_ Godric's voice hung in his mind for a moment and Harry nodded, alone in the room.

Harry ran a shaking hand through his hair and let out a sigh. The world had become so much more complicated now that Voldemort had returned, he had to consider everything in context to each other.

'_Calm yourself young one. Put your doubts out of your head. There are bigger things happening in the world than your Dark Lord. It is our responsibility to find out and stop whatever is happening.'_ Godric chided and Harry let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

'Why? Why is it down to us?' Harry asked.

'_Because we have the power to do so young one. Would you honestly have it any other way? Would you rather someone else did it and watch from a distance, allow someone else to take the burden of this war?'_ Godric questioned and Harry jerked up, his back straight.

He considered the question, using the skills in occlumency he'd learnt, he examined the question from every direction he could think of.

Then he let out a sigh and lay back on his bed.

'No, I would try to stop this war, even if I didn't have the power. I couldn't just ignore it.' Harry paused, a thoughtful expression on his face.

'Hermione calls it my saving people thing.' He added, earning a mental chuckle from Godric.

After an extra moment of thought, Harry looked up to see his clock saying it was about time to leave. He checked his wand holster and glanced at himself in the mirror. Harry gave his reflection a single shake of the head as he walked past, he still couldn't associate his new appearance with himself.

He left his room when a thought occurred to him.

'Godric, was Godric's Hollow named after you? Or did you have something to do with naming it?' he asked as he started making his way down the stairs to see the others.

'_It was once my home, with my wife and children. Originally, it was in the middle of nowhere. But over time others came to live nearby, for safety I suppose. It seems that after I died it became a rather sizable village.' _Godric replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

Harry nodded and found himself in the kitchen a few moments later to see Sirius leaning against a wall wearing a luxurious black robe, he raised an eyebrow and Sirius chuckled.

'It's a birthday, you need to dress up for these things.' Sirius grinned and Harry shook his head with a smile.

Remus joined them a few minutes later and Harry raised his eyebrows at the werewolf who looked like he finally owned proper clothes. Remus blushed at the look and gave a scowl to Sirius who released a bark-like laugh.

'Sirius forced me to go shopping with some money the ministry gave him as compensation for his time in Azkaban.' Remus explained, still scowling at Sirius.

'We can't have you dressing in rags next to the two of us handsome specimens.' Sirius remarked, then with a smirk, continued.

'You'll make us look bad.'

Remus threw an apple that had been sitting in the fruit bowl near him at Sirius who caught it before taking a bite.

'Thanks, Moony, I was getting peckish.' Grinned Sirius.

'Guys, can we go now?' Harry asked, giving the two men an impatient expression. Sirius pointed at the fireplace they used for the Floo.

'Go ahead birthday boy.'

After a dizzying Floo ride, he stepped out into the Burrow and within seconds, was engulfed in a hug by Mrs Weasley.

'Happy birthday Harry dear. The others are waiting outside for you.' Mrs Weasley said as she released him, nodding with appreciation as she looked him up and down.

'I'm glad you're starting to finally fill out Harry dear. Now run along.' She said as first Remus then Sirius exited the fireplace.

Harry left Mrs Weasley to deal with Sirius and Remus and made his way outside into the back yard of the Burrow. He couldn't help the grin on his face as he saw the twins whispering to each other while Ron, Ginny and Hermione chatted amongst themselves, sending the occasional suspicious glace toward the twins.

They all sat at a large table filled with food that Ron was already getting started on.

'Ron, come on, at least wait until Harry gets here.' Hermione said in a long-suffering tone Harry was familiar with after four years at school with her. Only the twins were facing Harry and they weren't paying attention so Harry figured he would have a little fun.

'But Hermione, I am here.' He grinned as he saw the Weasley children, plus Hermione all leap out of their seats and rush to him.

Harry laughed as Ron choked on a piece of chicken in his haste before swallowing it down with whatever he was drinking.

Harry was crushed in a hug from Hermione, joined by Ginny a moment later and after the two girls released him the twins each shook a hand and Ron gave him a one-armed man hug.

'Happy birthday Harry.' They said at the same time and Harry couldn't help but smile.

'Thanks guys, sorry it's been awhile.' He gave them a grin as he ran a hand through his hair.

Fred–or George–gave a wolf whistle a moment later as everyone spent a moment taking in Harry's appearance.

'What's wrong?' Harry asked, his gaze roving between his friends.

He saw Hermione and Ginny giving him almost _hungry_ looks, the twins wore wide suspicious grins and Ron's face was a shade below red, though would likely reach red in a few moments.

At the groups silence Harry shrugged and cocked his head.

'So, what have you guys been up to in the last month?' he asked, only to see them all share nervous glances and guilty expressions.

Harry watched them and allowed the awkward silence to drag for a moment.

'What's wrong?' he asked, still wearing a grin.

Hermione stared at his shoulder, guilt clear in her eyes.

'I'm sorry Harry, we can't tell you about some of the stuff, Dumbledore has sworn us to secrecy.'

Harry watched her for a moment before giving the others a closer look. He was amused to see the twins using the awkward moment to put something in Ron's pocket.

He sighed.

'Can you not tell me about the Order of the Phoenix?' he asked, still wearing his slight grin.

Harry watched his friends stare at him in shock and Harry couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.

'Relax guys, Sirius told me before the first meeting he attended for Dumbledore's secret group. It's okay, Sirius keeps me up to date with anything important. I don't care about the secret group guys. I just wanted to know if you guys had done anything fun or exciting?' he explained enjoying the expressions of shock on their faces, though again, Harry noted the twins sliding something suspicious into Hermione and Ginny's pockets.

He made a mental note to ask the twins about it later.

'Harry are you okay?' it was Hermione who asked, her voice hesitant.

'Yeah, why?' Harry replied as he cocked his head, he met her gaze and it clicked in his head.

He hadn't noticed it himself, but his training with Godric, Sirius and Remus had changed him. Between the occlumency and the constant combat training or even the lack of Voldemort's soul piece.

Harry finally noticed his anger no longer controlled him, though he recognised the situation was one he once would have been angered by.

It was an odd feeling now that he thought about it.

'It's okay guys. Really it is, I'm fine. I've been training with Sirius and Remus and it's really been helping my state of mind.' Harry said with a slight smile, watching the group of worried Weasleys and Hermione.

He saw Hermione chew her lower lip, the same way she always did when she had a problem she didn't know how to solve. A small grin found its way onto his face as he locked his gaze with Hermione.

'Yes Hermione, I'm still upset about Cedric, but I am getting better with everything. It has really helped not being stuck with the Dursleys.' Harry added and he saw a small amount of relief flash into Hermione's eyes.

He internally thanked Godric, unsure if the founder could hear his thoughts. He received a chuckle from Godric but nothing more.

Harry felt a disturbance to his right, toward the small hill overlooking the house, he turned to look and saw a single silver haired woman standing on the hill. With a grin Harry left his worried friends.

'Be right back guys.' He said with a wave in the wrong direction, no longer paying attention to his surroundings, eyes only for his silver haired friend.

He jogged toward the hill and after about a minute he met her half way up the hill and though she was higher on the hill, they stood at the same height. Green eyes met blue and Harry couldn't help the grin on his face.

She looked just like she did the last time he saw her, a slight tan on her skin and she wore a beaming smile on her face as she held out a wrapped box in her hands.

Harry stopped in front of her, his smile frozen on his face as his mind froze with it. Uncertainty flooded through him as doubts he had never consciously considered overwhelmed his mind. Why was she here? Why would she come to his birthday? It wasn't as if he was anyone special, not special enough for her, anyway.

His mind sped back into action as Fleur's musical laugh sounded in his ears and he felt her wrap her arms around him and she kissed his cheek.

''Appy birthday 'Arry.' She breathed in his ear and he felt as light as air and was sure he was as red as a tomato.

He beamed at her as she pulled back from her embrace, a calculating expression on her face as she looked him over and cocked her head.

'You've grown 'Arry.' She remarked and Harry grinned at her, though he was surprised to see that look of _hunger_ in her eyes as she looked him over.

'Nice jacket.' She smirked with her sapphire eyes twinkling.

'Uh, Fleur?' he asked as she continued to watch him.

She blinked and shook herself before releasing him. Fleur gave him a disarming smile before latching herself to his arm, the wrapped box held in her other hand.

Harry stood with Fleur, confused with her behaviour but gave an internal shrug deciding to just go with it.

The two ambled down the hill back toward the Weasleys back yard, Harry found he wanted to take as much time to be with just Fleur as he could.

'How have you been since you got home? I've really enjoyed our letters.' He said with a slight smile, noticing her beaming at him as they walked.

Harry's knees felt weak and he almost stumbled as they continued down the hill.

'Oui, I 'ave enjoyed being home. My Maman and Papa had been so worried during the Tournament.' She admitted, her grip on his arm tightening for a moment.

'Yeah, that doesn't surprise me, that Tournament ended up being far more than anyone expected, especially the organisers.' Harry said, thinking back on all the things that had gone wrong.

She nodded, then brightened, sending him a mischievous grin.

'Gabrielle was upset that she couldn't come today with me.'

Harry froze, turning her toward him and shame covered his face. Their hands connecting them as they stared at each other.

'I'm sorry Fleur, if I had known about the party, I would have invited her as well.'

The Veela laughed and Harry felt his heart soar at the sound before she kissed his cheek, her blue eyes dancing.

'Are you interested in my sister 'Arry Potter?' she asked, a single silver eyebrow raised. Harry blushed.

'N-no.' he stammered, before clearing his throat.

'No, it just would have been nice to see her again. I never had much of a chance to get to know her before you had to leave. Plus, having her around would make you happy.' He said, his blush still on his face as she gave him a radiant smile.

Fleur glanced around before leaning into Harry who still wore a blush.

'I think we are being watched, no?' she whispered in his ear and Harry turned to see the table of Weasley children, plus Hermione staring at them.

He felt his face warm uncomfortably.

Ron's expression was vacant as he stared at Fleur, his glassy eyed gaze unmoving from her form. Ginny looked like she would explode any moment, her face was red, but Harry was sure it wasn't from embarrassment.

Harry heard Fleur give a soft chuckle beside him and he turned to meet her gaze.

'We should go sit down 'Arry.' She said pointing at a seat between Hermione and Ginny.

Harry nodded as he tried to figure out what was going on around him that day. Maybe all his time with Godric, Sirius and Remus had lowered his ability to understand other people?

He heard Godric's laugh for a moment before it stopped.

Harry blinked, he was so confused by the whole thing.

Taking his seat between Hermione and Ginny he sat across from Fleur who was grinning at him. Harry glanced at the Twins and Ron and sighed, noting the glazed expressions on their faces.

'Ron!' barked Harry, louder than necessary and was amused when everyone at the table jumped in surprise.

But it worked, Ron's face was beet red and the twins weren't much better.

Harry noticed Fleur covering a smile with her hands as her eyes danced with amusement.

'Guys, I hope you all remember Fleur from last year.' He started nodding his head toward the Veela whose gaze never left Harry.

'Fleur, these are my friends, the twins, Fred and George Weasley. Ron Weasley.' He said as he gestured to each one.

The twins gave identical grins as they tried to bow to her from their seats, succeeding only in hitting their heads on the table.

'And on my left is Hermione Granger and to my right is Ginny Weasley.' He finished, gesturing to a wary Hermione and a glaring Ginny.

Before anyone else could say anything, the adults came out. Mr and Mrs Weasley followed by Sirius and Remus. The adults joined the table and lunch started.

Throughout lunch, Harry felt Fleur's leg rubbing up against his and he struggled to keep his mind on the meal and the conversation. He noticed that Fleur only picked at her food and he remembered she wasn't a fan of heavy English food, which is most of what Mrs Weasley ever made.

While Harry loved meals at the Weasleys, he had noticed during the last year that his tastes in food had changed, after eating different foods made for the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students.

He tried to keep the conversation flowing and light, but it had become clear to him that Mrs Weasley had taken a dislike toward Fleur. The Weasley matriarch had noticed the Veela's plate was barely touched and had taken it as a personal insult to her cooking.

'So, Fleur, what will you be doing now that you have finished school? Staying in France I assume?' Mrs Weasley asked. Harry knew the tone she had used, she used it often when she was about to start an argument with Ginny over something, he had heard it many times over the last few summers.

Fleur however, smiled at the woman's tone, sending a small grin at Harry and he felt her leg rubbing against his again causing a slight blush to appear on his cheeks.

'Because of the Triwizard Tournament last year, I will stay at Beauxbatons for six months. I will ensure my NEWT scores will be as 'igh as possible. Two of my classes were not offered at 'Ogwarts so I will focus on them in an accelerated program.' She answered with a pleasant smile and Harry smirked as he saw Hermione perk up.

Harry grinned as he saw Hermione had found something in common with the beautiful silver haired witch.

But his heart sunk as Fleur turned a mischievous grin toward him.

'But 'Arry 'ere will take his OWLs later this week.' She said and Harry groaned, wishing he had never told her as he saw the table turn to stare at him.

Hermione looked betrayed.

Harry glared at Fleur, but it was forced, and she only grinned at him. He sighed before glancing around the table.

'Yeah, she's right. I have been preparing with Sirius and Remus, and after the whole Triwizard thing I feel prepared for them.'

'But Harry…'

Harry held up a hand to stop everyone from speaking at once, then after sending Fleur another mock glare as she beamed at him, he sighed again. He noticed Sirius and Remus watching the table with wide grins, enjoying the spectacle.

'Harry?' it was Hermione who asked, gaining the attention of everyone at the table.

'Harry? Are you sure you're ready for it? I haven't even finished reading through the books for our fifth-year yet. When have you prepared for your OWLs?' she asked and Harry noticed the twins wearing identical confused expressions while Ron's face was turning red, almost purple.

Mr and Mrs Weasley watched in concern as Harry's gaze moved around the table.

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

'Okay guys…' he let out a heavy sigh as he met Ron's gaze.

'Ron, did you notice anything strange with my sleeping patterns last year?' Harry asked and Ron's almost purple face returned to his normal tone, he gave a slow shake of his head.

Harry gave a small grin.

'Hermione, did you notice how toward the end of last year I was getting spells in class before you?' Harry asked, smiling as he saw Hermione's eyes widen.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Fleur's expression appear hungry again as a look of realisation crossed her face.

'Last year I didn't sleep much. Between worrying about the Tournament and the school turning against me, I couldn't sleep longer than a few hours.' Harry admitted, his gaze on the table. From the corner of his eye he saw Mrs Weasley covering a gasp with her hands.

'I used that time to prepare for the Tournament, I wanted to close the gap between my fellow champions and myself. By the time the second task came along I had mastered all the fourth-year spells was working on the fifth-year ones.' He explained, smiling as Hermione's eyes were wide as dinner plates.

'I worked on catching up with the others every night for about five or six hours, depending on how much sleep I could get.' His gaze fell on Fleur's and he gave her a half smile.

'B-but Harry, that means you were doing all of that, in addition to your normal work on like, two hours of sleep?' Hermione declared, covering her mouth with her hand.

'Wicked!' called Fred and George, ignoring the glare sent toward them from their mother.

'How did you make it through the year working like that?' it was Ginny's small voice to his right and Harry ran a hand through his hair.

'I didn't have much choice, really. I couldn't sleep because of my nightmares about Voldemort, so rather than lay in bed doing nothing I did something constructive.' He admitted.

Harry gave another sigh after looking for help from Sirius and Remus who both wore worried expressions. He forgot that he hadn't told them about that part of the previous year.

Then he glanced at Fleur whose face shone with pride as she smiled at him.

'In any case, I feel I am prepared for the OWLs which is why I've organised to take them early, thanks to Sirius.' Harry nodded to the ex-con who then suffered under the disappointed glares of Mrs Weasley and Hermione.

Sirius glared at Harry, promising retribution once they returned home.

Harry was surprised when the twins stood from their place and walked around the table, each placing a hand on his shoulder.

'Harry-'

'-old chum-'

'-can we have a word?'

Harry shrugged, giving one last glance at the table and stood.

'Sure, what's up?' he asked as he was led away from the table, a twin on either side of him.

Together, the three went inside and stood in the kitchen, one twin keeping watch on the rest of the group outside.

Harry couldn't tell which twin was grinning at him with an eager expression.

'Harry, we are proud to inform you about our store that you are a part owner of.' Said the twin, his grin widening at Harry's confused frown.

'What?' Harry asked, cocking his head.

'Oh, Harrikins, have you forgotten the investment you made before we left school?' said the twin monitoring the table outside.

'I think dear Harrikins has forgotten Fred.' Said the twin beaming at Harry, George.

'Wait, guys. Sure, I gave you the Triwizard winnings, but it was a gift, not an investment.' Harry explained, holding his hands up in front of him.

'You should have known we would never accept a gift that life changing Harrikins.' Fred waved a hand a vague motion of denial.

'Anyway, we just wanted to inform our financial backer that we will start to ship out owl orders of our products this year at school.' George explained before Fred held up a hand.

'We have company.' Fred hissed.

'So Harrikins, what is going on with you and our French Goddess?' George asked as Ginny walked into the house before she let out a loud sniff followed by a huff and running up the stairs, one hand covering her eyes.

Harry blinked as his gaze went from the pair of grinning twins and then up to where Ginny disappeared, then he sighed.

'It's okay Harrikins.' Fred said.

'We understand that you don't return our dear-'

'-sister's feelings. It is sad that you-'

'-won't be joining the Weasley family officially-'

'-but you will always be one of us-'

'-unofficially anyway.'

Harry gaped at the twins before giving a single shake of his head, a small smile on his face.

'Thanks guys.' He said before cocking his head.

'Is there any way I can get out of being a partner in your crimes?' he asked, letting out a groan as the two beamed at him.

'Nope.' They chorused before turning and leaving the kitchen, Harry trailing behind them.

Harry groaned again as he returned to the table to find Ron staring at Fleur with glazed eyes again. Mrs Weasley was glaring at Fleur and Sirius was grinning at Harry with a Cheshire cat smile that Harry found disconcerting.

He took his seat and heard Hermione grilling Fleur on how she found her OWLs and how she felt about her NEWTs.

A small grin found its way onto his face as he felt Fleur's leg brush up against his again.

* * *

The afternoon turned into evening with the group chatting about various topics.

Harry was disappointed that Mrs Weasley spent most of her time either trying to bait Fleur into awkward conversations or otherwise glaring at her. Though he was pleasantly surprised to find that the twins seemed to only occasionally slip in their ability to function around Fleur.

Harry gave up trying to talk to Ron after the redhead ignored his attempts to talk for the fifth time.

Fleur met his gaze with a solemn expression.

'I'm sorry 'Arry, my Portkey will activate in less than five minutes.' She said and he could see her deflate slightly.

He stood and moved around the table to stand behind her, helping her out of her seat.

'I'll take you back to the hill then.' He said before turning to the rest of the table.

'I'll be back soon.' He explained before moving away from the table, an arm offered to Fleur who took it with a grin and a sly wink.

'I hope today wasn't too uncomfortable for you.' He said, his voice low as they moved away from the table.

She stopped walking and he turned to face her. She looked up at him, only a little shorter than him with a wide smile on her face.

'I am used to those reactions from people 'Arry. It is a part of who I am, much like you must endure when in public, no?' she murmured, and he felt a shiver run down his spine as their eyes met.

A mischievous sparkle lit her eyes before she grinned and moved past him toward the hill, dragging him along with her. Moments later the two found themselves back on the hill overlooking the Burrow. She tucked the wrapped box into his inner jacket pocked and patted it with a small smile.

She checked her watch before engulfing him in a hug, her hands rubbing across his back.

Fleur's hands froze, as did the rest of her and Harry's heart sunk.

''Arry?' she asked, Harry was sure the surrounding air froze as her cerulean gaze bore into his own.

''Ow did you get-' her question was cut off as she was whisked away mid-sentence by her international Portkey.

Harry stood on the hill by himself for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. He knew he would have a lot of questions to answer come the next letter from Fleur.

Squaring his shoulders, he turned back to face the table where the group sat and judging from the relative silence coming from the table, most of them had been watching him and Fleur.

He had a long night ahead of him.


	8. Chapter 8 - Godric's History Part 1

**Disclaimer**: I own none of this, well apart from the stuff you don't recognise. I may own that.

**Chapter 8: Godric's History Pt 1.**

Harry stood on a hillside that looked familiar. He looked around himself and saw a castle in the distance; it looked like Hogwarts, but it wasn't.

It was smaller.

Harry glanced around, confused. He was sure that he was in his mindscape, but he wasn't sure where this was.

'Godric?' he called, not seeing the founder anywhere.

'This is Hogwarts, as it was in my time.' Came Godric's voice from beside Harry, the man put a hand on Harry's shoulder and wore a small smile on his face.

'What you see below is Hogwarts after the four of us had finished building it. We worked hard to get it to that point.' He explained before letting out a chuckle.

'Do you know how much it costs to build a castle?' Godric asked with a wry grin.

Harry shook his head, never having thought about it before.

'Well, let me just say it was far more than we had expected, even with the four of us doing most of it with magic. It would have been easier to just take someone else's castle.' Godric admitted with a chuckle.

'Anyway, I will show you my memories. It is probably the easiest way for you to understand the past and what you will face in the future.' Godric said, his mouth twisted in a grim smile.

'It won't be the easiest experience of your life, but I think you need to understand.'

Harry nodded, not knowing what to say.

A moment later he swayed on his feet, suddenly lightheaded. He turned his gaze to Godric who wore an apologetic grimace as Harry collapsed to the ground, blackness overcoming him.

* * *

Godric Gryffindor dodged to his right, avoiding a thin beam of orange light by a hair's breadth. The beam shot past him, boring through a tree behind him, a hole the size of Godric's fist appeared in the tree, and the next few trees after that the orange beam burrowed through.

With a wave of the yew wand in his left hand, Godric created a solid crimson shield. It looked as though made from red metal.

Spells crashed into the crimson shield with deafening gongs but left no mark on the surface. Godric thrust forward his right ash wand and a burst of light blue energy lanced out of it, passing through the shield as if it weren't there and crashing into a large boulder that his enemy cowered behind.

The boulder exploded, sending shards of rock careening through the air, digging deep into those wizards hiding behind it, many of whom fell to the ground in agony, writhing and screaming as a wizard in black robes ducked beside the writhing people, drawing the rock shards from their bodies.

Godric was a force on the battlefield. With every wave of his wand, explosions rocked the earth which sent people flying through the air only to crash to the ground moments later, never to move again.

To Godric's side, twenty metres away stood another man, wearing green robes as he used a wand in each hand like Godric. The man was tall and thin, though well-muscled, unlike the massive beast of a man that Godric was.

'Godric, stop toying with the damn muggles. Finish them already.' The man snarled as he shielded with one wand, creating the same crimson shield Godric had made before and with every wave of his other wand he cut down wizards with quick precise strikes.

'Salazar, relax. You've got the Cabal sorted. I don't want to cause any unnecessary deaths for the muggles.' Godric called, sending a black chain from his wand to wrap around a man nearby. The chains bore the man to the ground, the tips of the chain burying into the ground, anchoring themselves. The mans sword clattered to the ground at his feet as he struggled against the cold metal.

'Dammit Godric, who cares about the damn muggles? They're combatants, kill them and be done with it. They're not innocent.' Salazar snarled, ending the life of another black robed witch with a pinpoint orange beam through the head as she broke cover, trying to find a better position.

Godric turned to glance at the castle behind them, Hogwarts.

Upon the battlements stood row after row of animated suits of armour, waiting to attack if given the order. Upon the gatehouse of the castle wall stood Helga and Rowena, both were directing their own teams of animated suits of armour in the battle beside himself and Salazar.

With a sigh, Godric nodded his head.

He waved his ash wand and a torrent of flame came out of it, taking the form of a great winged lion and he directed the fire lion to the remaining army of muggle soldiers, dressed in their armour and hand to hand weapons.

The lion tore into them, leaving a trail of flames and charred bodies in its wake.

A massive snake made of flames, a basilisk soon joined the fire lion. In moments, the fire constructs had torn apart the army of thousands of muggles and dissipated, their task complete and Salazar cut down another two wizards as they turned to flee.

Then all was silent as Godric strode to Salazar's side.

'Damn it Godric, your soft heartedness will be the death of you. These muggles are so easily bent to the will of the Cabal that our only choice is to either kill the muggles or hunt down the Cabal.' Salazar snarled, his jaw clenched as he glared at Godric.

'The muggles know their place. They won't act against us. It is the Cabal that is the problem Salazar and know that I agree with you. We must put a stop to them before they try this again.' Godric admitted, his head bowed in regret.

Salazar scoffed before looking out over the field of corpses.

'I killed at least ten of the Cabal, though they were all apprentices. The masters weren't here today, or if they were, I didn't see them.' The green robed man admitted with a scowl.

'Salazar, I'm sorry, I had wanted to find a peaceful way to resolve our differences with the Cabal.' Godric started but Salazar cut him off.

'No Godric, they will not stand for Hogwarts to exist. Its very existence is a threat to their power. The master and apprentice bond is the root of their power. They choose only the most gifted of apprentices and kill all others to keep down any threat to them.' Salazar cut in, his eyes blazing.

'They choose their apprentices only from the most influential and wealthy families and so the Cabal maintains its grip on the area.' Salazar snarled.

'Our school, open to all those who have magic is an affront to the Cabal. We are the future Godric, they are just a relic of the past, too powerful to die until now.' Salazar growled before turning away from Godric.

Godric took a step toward Salazar, a hand outstretched before letting it fall to his side.

'Salazar, what are you planning to do?' Godric asked, knowing already.

'Godric, dear brother. You know what I must do. You are just too soft hearted to admit it. But fear not. I will eliminate the Cabal, then Hogwarts will grow to become not only the centre of magical learning in the world. But it will become a home for those who need it.' Salazar intoned, a sad smile on his face.

'Salazar, I will join you.' Godric declared, moving to stand beside the other man.

'No Godric, we need here you. You are the leader of us, I have never inspired much to the public other than fear. Rowena is always too busy with her projects and Helga will mother the students too much if left by herself.' Salazar said with a smile.

'No Godric, you must stay and ensure Hogwarts survives. The Cabal is but one threat to our dreams, you must find us students to teach and prepare for the future.' Salazar finished, clapping a hand on Godric's shoulder before he waved a wand and a heavy travelling cloak appeared over his robes and a moment later, he disappeared with a near silent pop.

Godric sighed before turning to face Hogwarts, worry filled his heart at what the future would bring.

* * *

Harry stared at the original Hogwarts from the hill, the memory of Godric rushing through his mind. He ran through it multiple times as tried to understand what he had felt and experienced in it.

'Young one, what is on your mind?' Godric asked as he appeared out of thin air beside Harry.

Harry turned to look at Godric, his brows furrowed in confusion.

'But, Salazar?' Harry started before trailing off.

'I thought Salazar was evil?' Harry asked and Godric chuckled, but it was hollow, and Harry saw a shadow pass over the man's eyes.

'Oh, he didn't start out like that. In our youth we were like brothers, we did everything together.' Godric begun, but paused, a bittersweet emotion running across his face.

'It was his idea to build Hogwarts. He wanted to have a safe place to protect the children, he wanted to teach multiple children at once.' Godric paused with a small smile.

'In those days, they taught magic from a master to an apprentice. One on one training that lasted around ten years. It resulted in very close bonds between master and apprentice.' Godric gave a sad smile.

'But there were more magical children than there were masters. The masters often had no patience for children and so didn't take apprentices at all. They hoarded their power, only sharing it with those who would be controlled by them.' Godric explained.

'That was how the Cabal came to be, a group of masters who each had a single apprentice. The Cabal hoarded all the magical knowledge and power to themselves, never sharing it.'

Harry stared at Godric.

'Wait, why was Slytherin the one to suggest making a school?' Harry asked and Godric chuckled.

'It was Salazar because he was always the most ambitious of us. It was him who decided that between us, Rowena and Helga we could create something grander than the Cabal could ever imagine.' Godric grinned.

'Through Rowena's brilliance, Helga's hard work, Salazar's cunning and my determination we pooled our resources and create Hogwarts.' Godric sighed.

'It wasn't long before rumours reached the Cabal about our school and before it was even complete, they attacked us. It was a hard fight, four against forty, plus an army of muggles. But we repelled them.' Godric paused at Harry's expression.

'Oh, I forgot to mention. Salazar and I could both use Battle Magic, and two wands at once. Our sheer power overwhelmed the masters. None of them could use Battle Magic and that by itself would have been enough to hold them off.' Godric explained.

'But, four against forty? That's crazy.' Harry gaped.

'Keep in mind young one that half of those forty were apprentices, little more than seventh year students that you already know.' Godric said before giving a sly smile to Harry.

'I'm trying to be modest, but Battle Magic is enough that it can turn the tide of most fights. I suspect from what I can gather from your memories than both Voldemort and your Headmaster can use Battle Magic, which is why none seem to be able to match either of them in combat.' Godric explained while Harry stared, his mouth open in shock.

'So, I won't be able to beat Voldemort if I don't learn Battle Magic?' Harry asked, his face pale.

Godric chuckled, puffing out his chest.

'Never fear young one, you will learn Battle Magic once your body is ready for it. All you need do is continue your training, you are well on your way.' Godric said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezing.

Harry let out a breath and looked up to Godric and nodded.

'Let's continue.'

A/N: A short one, but please remember that the story is done and each chapter should be coming out daily. There's going to be about 50, so there's plenty to look forward to!


	9. Chapter 9 - Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing that you recognise.

**Chapter 9: Diagon Alley.**

The next three weeks passed with Harry continuing his training with Godric, Sirius and Remus. He continued sending letters back and forth with his friends, especially Fleur as the two got to know each other better.

Harry grinned as he skimmed over the letter, he had received from her a few days after his birthday.

_Dear Harry,_

_I have so many questions and I am sure you know exactly what they are. But if you do not feel comfortable telling me, then I will accept that. I have no interest in pushing you into sharing with me, that is not how a friendship should work._

_I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed seeing you for your birthday; it is my sincere hope that you had a good day. _

_While I am sure that the Weasleys will never be my greatest fans, I think the twins at least were fun to be around. Are they always like that? How did they make everybody's pockets explode into rainbows?_

_Gabrielle has asked whether you have learnt to speak French yet, she is a little impatient, but I also share her curiosity in this matter. I would be happy to teach you the next time we spend time together._

_I would like to see you before you go back to school come September, is that a possibility for you? But only if you want to of course._

_Before I finish, hopefully by now you'll have completed your OWLs, how do you think you went?_

_With love,_

_Fleur._

Harry grinned as he read through the letter again. He had replied later that day, giving his apologies for not wanting to talk about his back just yet and he had appreciated how she wouldn't push him to share things he wasn't ready for.

Harry had completed his OWLs in at the Ministry of Magic the day that the letter had arrived, and he felt he had done well on most of his classes, better than he had expected in any case.

They had organised to catch up in Diagon Alley the Thursday before heading back to school and Harry sighed as he lay on his bed. He had been restless the previous night as he had worked with Godric on new spells and duelling with the founder; the man was so far beyond Harry that it was frankly disheartening.

But Harry was determined to close the gap.

Harry left his room, ready to head into Diagon Alley. He wore a pair of neat, well-cut muggle jeans and a button-up shirt. He was eager to see Fleur; they had organised to meet up at noon in the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry made his way down the stairs and saw Sirius and Remus waiting for him at the kitchen table.

'It's a good thing we're not doing any training this morning Padfoot, Harry here is wearing his best clothes.' Remus grinned as Harry joined them, sitting at the table and picking at the breakfast provided by Dobby.

'You're right Moony, he's looking particularly dashing today. Do you think he's trying to impress anybody?' Sirius asked, a wide grin on his face.

Harry growled at the two men, but they ignored it and continued.

'Well, I don't think the Weasleys are due to be going to Diagon Alley today, so probably not any of them.' Remus mused, mischief in his eyes.

'Oh, Moony, it could be the young French woman? But why would she be in the area?' Sirius grinned and Harry couldn't help it as his mouth twisted into the ghost of a smile.

'Padfoot, you're right. It must be the French woman; you can see the flush creeping up his neck.' Remus crowed.

'All right, fine you two. Geez, leave me alone already. We're meeting up at lunch, can I ask you guys to pick up my stuff for me? She told me she is expecting a tour.' Harry grumbled, unable to stop the smile on his face.

'Aww, it's not as fun when you don't deny it.' Sirius pouted.

'Sure cub, we'll get your stuff. Are you sure you trust him to help?' Remus asked, gesturing at a smiling Sirius.

Harry paused, running his hand over his eyes.

'No, I don't. But I'd rather get pranked by you two than have to waste my time with Fleur by picking up my supplies.' Harry admitted to a gasp of faux outrage from Sirius as the man clutched his chest with the drama of a B grade actor.

* * *

A few hours later, Harry stepped through the Floo into the Leaky cauldron, for once not falling over. Remus had pulled him aside after his birthday and taught him to take a step as he said the name of his destination.

It was simple and now Harry could travel by Floo with relative ease.

Harry stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, his eyes taking in the exits of the room in a moment, his mind tagging potential threats to monitor, and his gaze fell upon a familiar disgruntled Veela sitting at a table near a window, a man leaning over her.

Harry stepped beside the man, between and to the side of the man and Fleur and wore the politest smile he could muster when all he wanted to do was punch the man in the face.

'I'm sorry sir, but this would be my table that my friend has saved for us. Would you mind?' Harry asked, gesturing toward the bar.

The man looked Harry up and down, narrowing his eyes as he saw Harry's scar hidden behind his longer than usual hair. Harry noted the mans eyes bore the glassy appearance that Ron usually wore when Fleur was nearby.

The man grumbled but left to go sit at the bar.

Harry took the seat opposite Fleur and gave her a beaming smile which she returned in kind.

'I'm sorry about that. I'm really glad you came, was it too difficult?' he asked, and she gave a soft laugh that brought a grin to his face.

'It seemed the only way I would see you again during the 'olidays.' She said, cocking her head to the side as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand.

'What 'ave you been up to that you couldn't spare a few days to visit me at my 'ome?' she asked, Harry was sure he heard a hurt tone in her voice.

Harry ran a hand through his hair.

'Well, as I've told you, I've been staying at my Godfathers place these holidays, right?' he asked, she nodded with a dubious expression on her face.

'What I haven't said, or rather haven't said in as many words is that both Sirius and Remus were my fathers' best friends and they have helped me train for the next horrible thing that happens to me.' He explained, for a few moments she wore a puzzled frown before understanding came over her and she looked sad.

'Are the odd occurrences in the newspapers connected to the training you've been doing 'Arry?' she asked, and he stared at her for a moment before she sighed.

'The Inferi 'Arry.' She clarified and he nodded.

'Yeah, that and the reports of those wraiths too. They're all connected, but we haven't gotten any more information just yet.' He added, she nodded but fixed him with an intense stare.

'But why are you training for that 'Arry?' she paused then her eyes narrowed.

'There is more to this isn't there 'Arry?' she asked, her voice lowering, and he let out a sigh.

'Yes, there is. But I haven't quite figured it out yet.' He said, hoping she wouldn't push him for information, he didn't want to lie to her.

Fleur let out a breath as a worried expression came over her.

'My Maman told me that the Veela community are acting rather strange of late. Many of the French Veela are worried that they 'avent 'eard from their Bulgarian sisters in recent weeks.' She admitted; Harry cocked his head.

'I don't know if it is connected to the Inferi, but Bulgaria is where one of the wraiths was located, no?' Harry nodded and sighed.

'As far as I know, Voldemort is lying low and the British Ministry is still denying his return. The Prophet is still busy insulting Dumbledore and me for trying to warn people. Sometimes I wonder why the Headmaster even bothers.' Harry grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair.

The two were silent for a moment before Fleur gave a soft smile.

''Ave you 'ad lunch 'Arry? I am 'ungry.' She admitted and Harry smiled.

'I'm sorry I am a bit grim today, I'll do better. How about we leave this place, I don't think they'll have anything you like anyway. I have an idea.' He said, standing from the table and her smile widened as he offered her a hand which she took with a smile.

Harry led them out into muggle London and within half an hour the two found themselves in front of a small Italian restaurant called _Taberna Etrusca_. They entered and enjoyed a private lunch where the waiter had taken them to a side room lit by candles.

Harry grinned as he considered how well his impromptu lunch suggestion went. After they finished and Harry paid with the muggle money he had in his wallet, glad Sirius always told him to have money of both types on him.

The two made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, taking their time to be with each other. Fleur holding his arm and grinning as they pointed at various interesting landmarks and stores.

'I don't know why, but I had always assumed that you would have already been to London.' Harry admitted as they walked past a statue of the Duke of Wellington, a tribute to the battle of Waterloo.

Fleur grinned at him, walking backwards in front of him with a playful glint in her eyes.

'Why would you think that?'

Harry gave a single shake of his head.

'Oh, because you're so well-travelled and… you're… French?' he trailed off, realising that he hadn't any real reason for the assumption. She gave her musical laugh before twisting around back to his side again.

'Well, next time you make assumptions, at least make them believable.' She said before stopping and peering through a window at a dress.

Harry watched her for a moment before leaning in beside her.

'Shall we go in? There's no reason we should go back to Diagon Alley so soon.' He offered, earning a smile and a shake of her head.

'No, no need. Let's go, I'm sure we'll find something nice when we get there.' She said, pulling him away from the store.

A few minutes later, they walked back through the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley.

As soon as they stepped into Diagon Alley, Fleur let out a gasp.

Harry grinned.

'So, first impression?' Harry asked, his grin widening as he watched her face cycle through emotions, the first had been excitement, followed by others Harry couldn't identify before finally ending with discomfort.

'It's so crowded, no?' she asked, and Harry grinned, holding his hand out to her.

'If you hold on to my hand, we won't get separated.' He offered and he saw her eyes widen for a moment before she grinned and entwined her hand with his.

Together they moved through Diagon Alley, with Harry telling her what each store sold from what he remembered from when he spent time in the alley in his third year. For every store that caused her eyes to light up with excitement, there were two more that made her scowl in distaste. Harry grinned as he led her into each shop that she seemed interested in.

They found themselves in a second-hand book shop after a few minutes and he felt a shiver of fear run down his spine as they entered, Fleur's eyes had lit up after finding a red leather-bound book. He resisted the urge to slam his face into his hand as he discovered Fleur had Hermione-like tendencies regarding books.

'What did you find?' Harry asked, sidling up beside her and glaring at two young wizards eyeing Fleur, they grumbled and moved away to another part of the store.

Fleur turned to face him, a wide grin on her face. The book had _Erijior's Enchanting Primer_ written on the cover. He gave her a quizzical look, making her pout.

'I get that you want to enchant stuff, but it seems like you're especially happy about that book?' Harry remarked, trying to ignore her pout.

'But 'Arry, I've been searching for this book all summer. None of the bookshops I visited had it.' Fleur explained; her eyes rooted to the red book.

'Can you give me a brief overview? Why is it so great?' Harry asked with a smile, he had to admit, he was enjoying how excited she was.

Fleur beamed, holding the book close to her chest.

'The primer is a rare book, written by Erijior Emery. A wizard in the seventeen hundreds that had some very interesting ideas about how enchanting and runes worked together to create some ancient magical items that since became a myth, like Excalibur, Mjolnir and the Spear of Destiny.' She explained; her eyes bright with excitement while Harry raised his eyebrows.

'Those are some pretty famous items, could I have a look at that when you're done with it?' he asked with a smile which turned into a grin as she beamed at him.

'Did you want to keep looking around this place?' he asked, and she gave him a distracted nod before turning to look at some other books on the shelf, still clutching the primer to her chest.

Grinning to himself, Harry turned and started looking at the titles on the shelves. A part of him was amused when he moved straight past the Quidditch section but rather, he found himself in the defence section, glancing through a shelf full of interesting books.

'_Take the green book in the centre. The rest of these would be interesting reading but will be of no immediate use to us.'_ Godric's voice sounded in his mind and Harry's gaze jerked around him, he hadn't expected to hear the founder. Shaking his head, he reached out to take the green book as directed.

Turning it over in his hand he saw the title, _Mythological Figures Across Britain._ Giving a slight shrug Harry moved back to Fleur being bothered by a clean-shaven man with long, thin hair. Harry suppressed a snarl toward the man, aware that Fleur would have to deal with this behaviour all the time.

Instead of punching the man in the face like he wanted to, Harry moved beside Fleur, his hand on her lower back as he ignored the man's presence and held his green book out for Fleur to see.

'Did you find any other books you wanted to get?' he asked, leading the two away from the fuming man.

'Non, but thank you 'Arry. That man was becoming, irritating.' Fleur said, her hand taking his once more.

'Anytime.' Harry grinned and led them to the counter where he paid for her red book, much to her dismay.

'It's the least I could do seeing as you had to take an international Portkey to see me.' He explained as they left the bookstore.

Moments after leaving the store, she pulled him into a nook next to the shop. The store next door stuck out into the alley a few extra feet, providing a hiding spot for them.

Then Harry saw why she had pulled them into the nook, the man who had bothered her in the book shop had left and was looking out across the alley, looking for something.

'I hate crowded places.' Fleur muttered and Harry's face fell.

'I'm sorry, I hadn't really thought about that when I invited you here. I didn't understand how hard it is for you in public places.' He said, using his body to shield her from attention as much as he could.

She looked up at him, a false smile on her face as she takes his hand and continues walking through the alley. Harry noticed that she had something on her mind and was no longer interested in the shops, with a sigh he led her to Florian Fortescue's ice cream parlour.

They sat down and Mr Fortescue himself came over to them.

'Ah, Mr Potter so good to see you again, how can I help you and the lovely lady today?'

Harry smiled at the man and after the two had ordered their ice creams he left the two teens alone. He saw Fleur watching him with an odd expression on her face.

'What's wrong? Have I had something on my face since lunch?' he asked, running his hand across his face and mouth. She smiled and leant forward, closer to him.

'How many people do you think have a resistance to the Veela allure 'Arry?' she asked, her head cocked and a calculating glint in her eye.

Harry frowned for a moment as he considered the question. They hadn't spoken of the topic outside of their letters and even in those letters she hadn't gone into detail. After a few moments he gave a mental shrug.

'Somewhat rare I suppose?' he guessed, and she gave her musical laugh as she shook her head.

Harry's frown deepened as he watched Fleur gather herself, giving him a fond expression. Mr Fortescue gave them their ice creams and they grew silent as they ate them, the only noise coming from the surrounding alley. Fleur let out a soft moan as she tasted her ice cream and Harry forced his mind to clamp down on the thoughts that sound had spawned in his mind, a slight blush running up his cheeks.

He glanced at Fleur and saw a mischievous grin before her next mouthful of ice cream produced another moan from her, though her eyes never left his.

Harry froze, his jaw clenched as he tried to stop the mental images from flooding his mind of other activities that would make her moan like that. He felt his face redden further before he had regained control of his traitorous mind.

After she finished her ice cream, Harry wasn't sure if he was glad that she did so in silence or not, she leant toward him again.

'It is much rarer than somewhat to be resistant.' She said and Harry cocked his head as he considered that, then she continued.

'I have a test I want to do, but not with any people around so it will have to wait until next time.' Fleur finished with an uncertain smile. Harry gave her a confused expression before checking his watch.

'How long do you have on your Portkey?' he asked, an idea running in his mind. She glanced at her own watch, it was thin and silver.

'About an hour?' she replied, giving him an odd look.

'Will the Portkey activate from a specific location or anywhere?' he asked, she cocked her head to the side as her eyes narrowed.

'Wherever I am, why?'

Harry grinned, standing from his seat.

'I'll be right back, I'll go pay.'

Leaving her for a moment to go pay for their ice cream, he returned only a few moments later to find another man leaning over Fleur, this one with a heavily pockmarked face leaning over their table, hands splayed in front of him, trapping Fleur at the table against the wall.

Harry's jaw clenched as he saw her discomfort and could see her struggling to stay calm toward the aggressive man.

He returned to their table, as if nothing were wrong and took Fleur's hand, ignoring the man.

'It's time to go.' He said with a false grin, clearing a path for her, putting himself between the man and her.

The man looked enraged at Harry's actions, but Harry didn't stay. He moved them toward the Leaky Cauldron in a brisk walk.

'Get back here, I'm not done with her.' Called the pockmarked man from behind them. Harry could hear the anger in his tone.

He led them a little faster toward the Leaky Cauldron, letting out a sigh as they entered to see Sirius and Remus sitting in a booth near the fireplace both men nursing pints of beer.

Harry led Fleur to his surrogate family as the pockmarked man forced open the door, his face red with anger.

The man clamped a hand down on Harry's shoulder, spinning Harry around to face him.

'I'm not done with the lady.' The man snarled before throwing a punch at Harry's face.

Fleur gasped, and Harry's body relaxed. His training taking over his body in the blink of an eye.

Harry released Fleur's hand, pulled his face out of the path of the man's fist, missing by an inch before his right hand darted out to grasp the mans extended wrist and, in a lightning-fast move, spun it around and up the man's back. Harry pushed the man's face down onto the table.

It all happened in little more than a second.

Harry glanced at Sirius for a moment before Sirius turned to a shocked Fleur.

'Would you like to have a quick visit to our place before you head home? It's a bit too lively here.' Sirius asked.

At her nod, Sirius and Remus left their drinks at the table and led Fleur to the Floo.

Harry glanced around the pub.

'Sorry for the excitement everyone. I think the man just had too much to drink.' Harry offered to the crowd of stunned people, ignoring the sputtered threats of the man Harry still had pinned to the table.

'_Leave a galleon on the table for the trouble. At least that's how it was done in my time.'_ Godric suggested. Harry complied, placing a golden coin down beside the man before releasing the man and moving to the Floo where the others had already left.

Moments later, Harry stepped out of the Floo to see Fleur giving him a worried look. Sirius and Remus also stood nearby and wore grim expressions.

'Sorry guys, can you give us a few minutes?' Harry asked, ignoring the sly wink Sirius gave him before the two men left the room.

Harry took a seat on the couch nearby and gestured for Fleur to take a seat somewhere in the room, she took the one next to him on the couch. From the corner of his eye he saw her hands twisting with an anxious energy, but she otherwise gave off no sign of what was on her mind.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and gave a sigh before sitting up straight and meeting her cerulean gaze.

'I will answer any questions you have before you have to leave.' He said with a defeated sigh.

She cocked her head at him with a confused frown before clarifying.

'Any questions?'

At his nod, she continued.

'What did you do at the bar?'

Harry took a deep breath, readying himself for a great deal of talking.

'Since I got home from Hogwarts, I have been training with Sirius and Remus. They have been teaching me magical and non-magical combat.' He paused, giving her a half grin, he continued.

'Since magical combat wasn't an option for that altercation, I had to choose a non-magical way to resolve it, and one that would result in minimal harm for the man.'

She cocked an eyebrow at him.

'Could you have done any of that during the tournament?'

Harry shook his head.

'No, during the tournament, my only non-magical combat experience was running away. I got a lot of practice as a kid.' He wore a grim, bitter smile as he finished. His eyes dull at the memories.

She nodded, her eyes never leaving his.

'What kind of magical training have you been doing? Aren't you not allowed to use magic as you are not of age?' she asked.

'I have been learning everything that Sirius learnt years ago in the Aurors, and everything Remus learnt in his years of travelling abroad. I can use magic in this house as it is the heavily warded home of an Ancient and Noble house, the Ministry cannot track my magic used here.' Harry said with a small grin, thinking about how much he had flouted that law during that summer.

Harry put up a hand, pausing her next question causing a small frown to mark her perfect brow.

'What was this test you wanted to do earlier, back at the ice cream store?' he asked, a curious smile on his face. She sighed and shook her head.

'Do not concern yourself with it. It was only a fool's 'ope. You shouldn't worry about it.' She replied.

Harry saw the doubt in her eyes, and he felt shame, he had scared her.

'I'm sorry, about the fight. I didn't want to-' he stopped, one of Fleur's fingers on his lips.

'Non 'Arry, I appreciate what you did. I have never enjoyed the attention my 'eritage attracts. Besides, that is not what gives me pause.' She murmured, her eyes darting to his scar for a moment.

Harry nodded, understanding what she referred to. Her gaze returned to his eyes and a thoughtful expression had replaced the doubt that had covered her face.

'May I perform the test 'Arry? I just 'ad an idea.' She asked, her lips twisting into a soft smile. Harry shrugged with a grin.

'I've gotten to rather enjoy tests lately.'

She stood, moving to the centre of the room, gesturing for him to do the same. He moved off the couch and stood a metre in front of her.

'Just be your natural self 'Arry. Take note of everything you experience from this point forward.' She ordered and he grinned and nodded.

'Sure.'

Fleur closed her eyes, her body tensing as she focussed on something. The air around Fleur shimmered, like an intense heat. Her long silver hair waved about in a wind that didn't exist in the house and Harry felt something strange in the back of his mind. The feeling was both affected by his occlumency barriers and not at the same time.

Curious, Harry focussed on the strange feeling, allowing a small amount of it through his barriers.

The strange feeling became an urge to impress her, to adore her. He felt a need to go to her and he listened to the feeling, his curiosity peaked.

It was vaguely like the imperious curse. The feeling made it feel as though going to kneel before her was the act he most wanted to do in the world, his life's ambition. While the Imperious curse would simply demand he kneel, the will of the user working to overwhelm his own.

He wore a small smile as he saw her eyes open, they were the most brilliant blue he had ever seen, like a picture he had seen of the ocean around a tropical island. Her hair whipping around her like she stood in a storm.

Harry grinned, he could feel the urge to do all those things, but like the Imperious curse itself, he had no interest in doing any of those things.

At least not during this test.

'Could you turn it up any further?' he asked with a smirk.

She let out a breath and the surrounding air stopped shimmering, her hair falling back into place. On her face she wore a beaming smile, brighter than he had seen her wear and her eyes shone with joy.

Then her eyes widened as they looked past Harry to the doorway into the kitchen. Harry turned and saw Sirius and Remus kneeling a few metres away with vacant expressions and blank stares.

Harry laughed.

'Oh, no, I'm so sorry.' Fleur gushed as the two men blinked and turned to each other with confused expressions before they saw Harry laughing nearby.

'Sorry guys, we were just testing something, I probably should have warned you two first though.' Harry said as he stopped his laughter.

The two men eyed Harry, then Fleur before they grinned and laughed at a red-faced Fleur who hid her face in her hands.

'It's okay you two. We'll just be out there, come see us when you're about to leave okay Fleur?' Sirius said, a wide grin on his face as he laughed at the blushing Veela.

Harry turned back to Fleur and cocked his head.

'Did I pass the test?' he asked with a lopsided grin.

He watched as her face rose out from her hands, a blush still on her cheeks before she met his gaze again, her brilliant smile back.

Harry couldn't help but love that smile.

He moved back to the couch, gesturing for her to join him.

''Arry, I told you that being resistant to the allure is rare no?' she asked, and he shrugged.

'Yeah, you said it was really rare.' He said, a confused expression on his face.

'How rare do you think it is then to find someone who is _immune_ to the allure?' she asked, and Harry ran a hand through his hair.

'Well, judging by the smile you're wearing it must be pretty rare.'

Her smile was radiant, seeming to light up the dreary room.

''Arry, my Papa is resistant to the allure, which is one of the reasons my Maman married him.' She paused at Harry's frown.

'What does it mean to be resistant? Why are you so happy about it?' he asked, and she froze, her face going red for a moment.

'Uhm…' she stared at him in horror.

Harry grinned, not having seen her lost for words.

She glanced at her watch and gasped.

'Can I still ask you any question?' she asked, he nodded.

'Can you, tell me about your back?' she continued, Harry could feel her hesitation and he gave her a sad smile.

Harry took a breath and closed his eyes for a moment before beginning.

'When I was a child, I lived with my mother's sister, my aunt, uncle and their son Dudley. They hated magic and did everything they could think of to get rid of that magic.' He paused, his eyes growing dull as he delved into his memories. His skill in occlumency helping him to recall the memories in greater clarity than ever.

'What you felt on my back are scars from when I was ten years old, I had received a high mark on my schoolwork which I hid from my relatives. But Dudley complained that the teacher had compared the two of them, telling Dudley to be more like me. My aunt and uncle found my stash of good marks and saw proof that I was smarter than their son.' Harry paused, letting out a sigh.

'They accused me of cheating, of putting my name on someone else's assignment. That was the only way a useless waste of space like me would get better marks than Dudley.' Here he paused as a shudder rocked through him, the vivid memory playing through his mind.

'I denied it, something I had long since learned not to do. But I was proud of my achievement. My uncle Vernon backhanded me, sending me into a wall, breaking it. But Vernon wasn't done, he screamed at me about my freakiness and how I shouldn't cheat.' He paused again, his memory replaying the event.

'Vernon pulled off his belt and whipped me with it, not just once, he kept going. The belt tore through the oversized hand-me-down tee shirt I wore, before tearing into my skin as he kept whipping me, the buckle tearing deeper into my skin.' His jaw clenched as the memory continued to play in his mind.

'I had tried my hardest to not make a sound while being punished, but I had whimpered and Vernon kept going, digging further into my back. I remember looking up to my aunt Petunia, only for her to be staring at me in disgust while Dudley rushed in as Vernon stepped back to catch his breath.' A tear slid down his cheek as the memory finished in his mind.

'Dudley was kicking me as hard as he could, in my stomach, my ribs. Eventually he missed and kicked me in the head, knocking me out. The next thing I remember is waking up the next day in the cupboard under the stairs, where I slept, and I was forced to clean up the bloodstains that day.' He finished, wiping the tear from his face, finding himself no longer trapped in his memory.

Fleur sat in front of him, tears flooding down her horror-struck face. He watched her, their eyes locked on each other and he saw her heart break.

'Fleur, I don't want your pity. I don't want you to think any different of me now that you know some of what I have been through with my relatives. You asked and I said I would answer any question.' He said, his voice low and lacking any of the emotion he normally had.

Fleur's broken-hearted gaze was locked with his as she stood from her spot on the couch, moved the few steps to stand in front of him before kneeling so their eyes were level and pulled him into an embrace.

'I would never think any differently about you. I could never pity you. Because you are an amazing man 'Arry Potter.' She whispered as she held her forehead to his.

'I will do everything I can to stop anything like this from happening again.' He barely heard the words; they were hardly a whisper.

Harry pulled her back into their previous embrace for a few moments before releasing her, giving her a small smile.

'It will never happen again, I'm living here with Sirius now, I will never have to see the Dursleys again.' He declared, a half smile on his face.

She leant forward and kissed his cheek before pulling away and standing, brushing any dirt from her knees.

Fleur glanced at her watch and her eyes widened.

'It's almost time, we should go find Sirius.' She gasped and Harry chuckled, standing and leading her into the kitchen.

Harry noticed Fleur walking very close beside him, and he found he quite liked it.

As the two teens entered the kitchen, they saw Sirius and Remus both wearing faux expressions of innocence. Harry knew he would get teased later and found the idea didn't really bother him.

'Hey guys, Fleur has to leave soon, we just figured it would be nice for you guys to do the whole being a proper host thing.' Harry grinned and chuckled as both men leapt out of their seats and gave a blushing Fleur brief hugs.

'It's nice to see Harry found someone so lovely to spend his time with.' Remus said with a smile as both teens turned red.

''Arry is a wonderful man who I plan to see more of in the future.' Fleur said, beaming at Harry before she took his face in her hands and planted a searing kiss on his lips.

Harry was stunned at the kiss and before he had a chance to return it, regardless of whoever was there with them, she pulled away from him with a wicked grin before she stepped back and a moment later, she was gone, her Portkey activating.

Harry sighed.

Then scowled at the two adults in the room as they laughed at him.

'Oh, puppy love. It is so sweet.' Sirius crooned and Harry punched his arm before shaking his head and smiling at he looked at the spot she disappeared from.

'I'm going to go lay down.' Harry said, leaving the laughing men in the kitchen.


	10. Chapter 10 - Results

**Disclaimer**: I own none of this, except for the stuff I made up.

**Chapter 10: Results**.

Harry's next few days passed in a blur of training. He had received his OWL results the day after he had seen Fleur, proud was an understatement as to how he felt about them. Harry grinned at he looked at his OWL results, ten OWLs.

He had missed out on Divination which he didn't care about; he had gotten O's in Potions, Defence, History of Magic and Transfiguration and E's in the others.

Harry was ecstatic about his results, considering he was a year early and two of his OWLs were from Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, classes he hadn't taken in Hogwarts, but he had cheated by having Godric take over his body for the exams. He would learn them properly, but this was to simply expedite the situation.

A letter had also come from Professor McGonagall asking to confirm his new classes, to which he had continued Astronomy, Charms, Defence, Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. He had asked to drop Divination and Care of Magical Creatures.

When Harry had opened the letter from McGonagall, a prefect badge had fallen out of it and his heart had sunk. He'd placed the badge in his confirmation letter to his head of house, in addition to a more personal letter he had written for the stern professor.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_As much as it pains me to tell you this, I feel that I must. _

_I cannot accept the prefect position this year; I honestly feel that I cannot put in the effort that such a position requires. While I appreciate the trust in me you have shown in offering it to me, I simply cannot do it justice._

_On a similar note, I will have to pull out from the Quidditch team also for the same reasons. _

_I know this may be a bit of a shock, but once I get back to Hogwarts, I will explain everything to you. It's just not something that can be explained in a letter._

_All I can say right now, in a letter is that I am busy and will be busy this year with preparing myself for the fallout of the third task._

_Again, I will explain all of this to you in person upon my return to Hogwarts. I am truly sorry for the inconvenience I have caused._

_Thank you,_

_Harry Potter._

Harry had spent much of the day at his writing desk, Dobby even having to bring him up lunch. He had written letters to Hagrid, apologising for not taking his class for NEWTs. Another letter to Hermione, telling her about his results and asking how her summer was going. Then after he had finished his lunch he leant back in his chair, feeling the satisfying crack of his back as he stretched, he looked over his letter to Fleur.

_Dear Fleur,_

_I just got my results for my early OWLs, I got ten, so I'm pretty happy with that. Anyway, I wish you could take your NEWTs at Hogwarts; I don't want to wait until next year to see you again, especially after your goodbye the last time. _

_A guy could get used to that._

_Anyway, I hope everything is going well with you and that Gabrielle is excited to be returning to school. Can you tell her that my understanding of French is getting better? I'm nowhere near fluent yet, but I think I can get by at least._

_I have attached another letter along with this one, this one for her. You may need to be nearby to help her decode it if necessary._

_Lastly, I want to thank you. It means a lot to me you know some of my past. You are the only one that does, and as much as it hurt to relive it, I'm glad that you asked._

_Harry._

Harry folded the letter and put it in a pile of letters on his desk. He held out a hand and Hedwig flew from her perch to land on his wrist, her sharp talons careful not to damage his skin. The owl nuzzled up against his cheek as he patted her with his free hand.

'Hey Hedwig, do you think you can deliver these letters? I'll probably be back at Hogwarts by the time you're done with your deliveries. Can you deliver Fleur's last then rest there for a while, I'm sure that she'll spoil you.' Harry grinned at the owl as she gave a soft nip at his ear before she took the letters and flew out the window.

The next morning, Harry made his way downstairs after a hectic night of training with Godric. Their training was getting harder, Godric having started Harry on duelling. They now focussed about half their time on learning new spells while the rest of the time they were increasing Harry's ability to think on his feet in different environments and develop his fighting skills.

As Harry sat down at the kitchen bench with Sirius, the man handed the prophet to him without a word.

Harry glanced at the picture on the front page and let out a sigh. It showed Fleur and himself at Florian Fortescue's, enjoying their ice cream together.

'This is front page news? Shouldn't they be focussing on something else, like maybe the Inferi or something?' Harry asked Sirius, the irritation in his tone wasn't missed as Sirius grinned at him.

'Oh, it gets better pup.' Sirius gave a dark laugh before going back to his breakfast.

_Boy-Who-Lived, Caught?_

_The Boy-Who-Lived has been seen walking though Diagon Alley with the quarter Veela Fleur Delacour, Beauxbatons champion in the ill fated Triwizard Tournament held earlier this year. While the two looked happy to be in each other's company, it appeared that the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't enough for the young woman who received a great deal of attention from the men around her. _

_Is it morally acceptable for the Boy-Who-Lived to be with an older, part magical creature? _

_Is this part Veela to blame for the beliefs of the Boy-Who-Lived?_

_Perhaps she is the cause of his attention seeking behaviour? That her poor showing in the tragic Triwizard Tournament was due to her spending her time seducing and tarnishing the Boy-Who-Lived?_

_Before the two left the Leaky Cauldron on their impromptu date, there was a fight that broke out where the Boy-Who-Lived brawled with an innocent bystander._

_Rest assured dear readers, I will follow our tarnished saviour to find out the answers we all are looking for._

_Sandy Cinder._

Harry clenched his jaw before he let out a low growl.

'Read the next page pup.' Sirius added before taking a sip of his coffee.

_Inferi Menace continues with Dark Mark sighted._

_The Inferi Menace is continuing across the world. Every day there are more sightings and Aurors are dispatched to control the Inferi before they join together and form a swarm._

_Madame Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has said in a statement given to the media just last night that the Inferi are not being controlled. _

_They are acting purely on their own dark magic fuelled instincts. _

_But that begs the question, how did this Inferi Menace begin? They don't simply wake up on their own, so something else woke them up._

_But what?_

_There have also been sightings of the Dark Mark, last seen at the Quidditch World Cup last year and before that last seen at Godric's Hollow the night the Dark Lord fell. _

_These latest sightings of the Dark Mark raise questions about who is using it? _

_Are these Dark Marks from the same people who caused the damage at the Quidditch World cup or could there be truth to what Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore are saying?_

_Could He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named truly be back?_

_Time will tell dear readers, and rest assured I will continue searching for the answers._

_Justine Jennings._

Harry put down the paper and gave a sigh. He could feel the frustration of Godric, he knew he wasn't ready to get involved as much as he hated to admit it.

'How will I be continuing my training while at Hogwarts?' Harry asked, buttering a piece of toast.

'I mean, I'll have classes and won't be able to disappear all day to train.' He continued, chewing on his toast in thought.

Sirius looked at Remus who had joined them while Harry had read the paper.

'We've looked into that pup and we think we have an idea. But it involves Dumbledore giving the okay.' Sirius said, sighing at Harry's expectant look.

'Okay pup, fine. Dumbledore still has Hermione's time-turner from your third year.' Sirius grumbled at Harry's blank look.

'Really?' Harry drawled.

'After all the trouble that thing caused?' he continued while Sirius grinned.

'And innocent lives saved right?' Sirius asked to which Harry grinned and nodded.

'Yeah, yeah that's right, we saved you. May have made a mistake there.' Harry winked at Remus who covered his grin while Sirius squawked with indignance.

'Hey.' Sirius growled.

Harry was silent for a moment as he finished his toast.

'Who will I be training with at the castle?' he asked, meeting Remus' gaze.

Both men wore wide grins.

'Us. Dumbledore wants to increase security around the castle, and he needed a DADA teacher, for which I accepted.' Sirius gave his Godson a proud grin while Harry could only shake his head with his own grin on his face.

'I will also be in the castle frequently to assist the DADA teacher in planning and preparation.' Remus added with his own grin.

Harry let out a breath, then noticed the clock on the wall and swore before running upstairs to get ready for the train ride back to Hogwarts.


	11. Chapter 11 - Danger on the Express

**Disclaimer**: I own none of this, apart from anything that I made up.

**Chapter 11: Danger on the Hogwarts Express.**

Harry sat in a compartment in the Hogwarts Express, his eyes closed as he practiced an aspect of Occlumency that Godric had taught him over the summer. With his eyes closed he could focus on the surrounding area, to sense the magic that surrounded him.

He had used the technique in Grimmauld Place, but it had blinded him with how thick the magic was in that place. But on the train, he could sense the magic in its different hues, Godric had told him the hues he saw were the way his mind interpreted the magic, not the colour of the magic itself.

While magic filled the train, and he could feel the individual magical signatures of the parents and students that loitered outside the train, he wasn't able to tell them apart. They were a sea of blues, reds and greens and every shade in between.

He heard the whistle of the Express sound, signalling the train's imminent departure and chuckled as two familiar magical signatures approached his compartment.

His suspicions were correct as he turned off his magic sensing to see Ron and Hermione enter the compartment.

'Hi Harr-' Ron started, then froze.

'Ron what-' Hermione said as she pushed Ron into the compartment before freezing beside him.

Harry blinked as his normal sight returned to show the dumbstruck expressions of his friends.

'Uh, hey guys. What's going on?' Harry asked, his head cocked to the side.

The two gaped at him for a moment before Ron blurted.

'Mate, you're massive.'

Harry blinked, then remembered the rituals Godric had been teaching him over the summer were supposed to have this effect on him.

They made his body perform at its peak, he was approaching as strong and quick as a human body can naturally be. Which would then signal the next stage of rituals, all of which used to be common practice in Hogwarts' early years.

Harry watched Ron's face, his slack jawed expression of shock and couldn't help but feel a pang of discomfort in the presence of his two friends. Ron stood around six feet tall and his lanky frame gave hints of Ron's eventual mature body. While Harry knew he stood at just over six feet tall and because of the rituals and training over the summer he was covered with thin, yet strong muscles. Not enough to get in the way or slow him down, speed was Harry's strength and he had learnt that in his training.

Harry gave his friends an apologetic shrug.

'Sorry guys, I've been training with Sirius and Remus all summer. Now that Voldemort is back, I have to prepare.' He explained as the two sat down opposite him, with matching expressions of worry on their faces.

'Harry, you don't have to fight him. You know that right?' Hermione asked, hesitating as she finished. She was chewing her lower lip and her hands rubbed together in a nervous gesture she'd had since first year.

Harry noticed Ron bouncing his knee, his own nervous gesture since he'd known the other boy.

Harry gave a sad sigh, first meeting Ron's gaze before holding Hermione's.

'Do you honestly think the Voldemort will let me live after I somehow stopped him as a baby, in our first year, closed the Chamber in our second year, and escaped from him at his rebirth?' Harry paused, cocking his head.

'At the absolute least, his pride would demand I be killed. Who would follow a master who lost to the same person in every conflict since they were a baby?' he asked, and his friends wore grudging expressions of understanding. Though they remained silent, working through his words.

'I believe you Harry Potter, and if I were Voldemort, I would stop at nothing to kill you. Well that and get the Ministry of Magic's Heliopaths under my control.' Came a dreamy voice from the door to the compartment.

Harry stared at the girl who spoke, standing in the compartment's doorway. She looked a little younger than them with long wavy blonde hair and wide blue eyes. She had multi coloured glasses perched on her head, holding back her fringe and an odd necklace around her neck.

Harry cocked his head, having to admit that the girl was cute in a quirky sort of way.

'Hi, it's nice to meet you. Thank you for believing me, what's your name?' Harry asked, a small grin on his face at the odd spaced-out looking girl.

'Oh, I'm Luna Lovegood. How rude of me.' She replied in the same dreamy voice as before.

Harry noticed Ron blink, gathering his wits before he spoke.

'Just leave us alone, we don't want to hear all about your weird creatures Loony.' Ron glared at the girl whose face crumpled at his words.

'Ron. Don't.' Harry growled and his friends stopped and stared as Luna turned her wide eyes to Harry, shock written in them.

Harry glared at a shocked Ron for a moment before turning to look at Luna with a soft smile on his face.

'I'm sorry for Ron's rudeness. It is very nice to meet you, won't you join us? I'm Harry.' He said, patting the spot beside him.

'I know.' The odd girl said as she took the offered spot beside Harry.

Harry stared at the strange girl for a moment before giving an internal shrug and ran with the random encounter.

'So, how was your holiday Luna?' Harry asked, feeling the stares and the surprised expressions of his friends. But he ignored them, unwilling to send the girl away.

His eyes narrowed as he felt a sense of sadness from her, was it a part of his magic sensing ability?

'_That is correct young one, you are sensing the girls magic, without seeing it. Her magic is giving off a feeling of sadness, because that is her emotional state right now.'_ Godric's voice drifted into his mind and he gave the smallest of nods as he waited for her response.

'Oh yes, Daddy and I went to Sweden to search for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.' Luna chirped with a grin.

Harry blinked.

'A Crumpled horn what-now?' Harry asked, ignoring the clenched jaw of Ron sitting across from him.

Luna cocked her head and gave a dreamy smile.

'The Crumple-horned Snorkack. It's a creature that nobody has ever seen, though Daddy and I are sure we will someday.'

Harry blinked again.

'A creature nobody has ever seen? I suppose you don't know what it looks like then?' he asked, seeing Hermione's frown from the corner of his eye.

'No, but I know that we'll recognise it when we see it.' Luna gushed and Harry grinned.

'Well, in that case I really hope you find it someday. The day when we can say that we know everything will be a sad day indeed.' He said, drawing confused stares from Ron and Hermione while Luna beamed at him.

'Have you met my Daddy before?' Luna asked, her eyes shining.

'No, I don't think so, why?' Harry replied, cocking his head.

'Because Daddy says that all the time.' She gushed.

* * *

A few hours later, Harry and Luna sat in their compartment. Ron and Hermione had left for a prefects meeting an hour before and Harry was glad he had dodged it, though surprised that Ron got the position.

Luna had latched onto Harry as a captive listener and he was sure that most of the creatures she gushed about he'd never heard of, neither had Godric after Harry asked him.

As much as he enjoyed being with the rather odd girl, his head was hurting as he tried to keep up with the conversation.

It was around half way through their journey when the train slowed down, the brakes screeching as the train crossed a long bridge, leaving a sheer drop on both sides.

After the train stopped Harry looked outside, the sun was just starting to drop behind the mountains in the distance. He closed his eyes and focussed his magic sensing ability, finding Luna's magic to be a calm blue, giving off waves of happiness mixed with anxiety opposed to her earlier sadness.

He reached further with his sense and felt unpleasant presences on the roof of the train.

Harry turned off his magic sense and looked to Luna with what he hoped was a calming smile.

'Can you stay in this compartment, no matter what?' she nodded.

'Can you cast a shield charm?' she shook her head.

'A stunner?' another shake of her head.

'Disarming hex?' this time got a hesitant nod.

'Okay, so stay in here, if anyone comes in to this compartment, hit them with the disarming hex okay?' he asked, she nodded with wide eyes.

'It will be okay Luna, I will stop the bad guys from whatever they're planning.' He gave a soft grin.

'Just stay here and you'll be fine. I'll be back soon.' Harry could see the fear in the girl's eyes and brushed a strand of blonde hair from her eyes before giving her another smile.

Then he turned and sent a Patronus message to Dumbledore, Remus had shown him the trick earlier in the summer. The memory of Sirius sending his dog Patronus to wake up Harry a few mornings in a row by screaming at him with his Godfathers voice brought a small smile to his face.

Shaking his head, Harry sent a silent locking charm on the door and vanished the window. With one last smile to Luna, he tapped his wand on his head and felt the now familiar feeling of an egg cracking over his head as a disillusioning charm covered him. Harry climbed out of the window and onto the side of the train, crawling up onto the roof.

He would never admit it, but Sirius' physical training was paying off.

'Take over if I get in over my head.' Harry grumbled as he made his way up the side of the train.

'_Agreed young one.'_ Godric sounded eager and Harry couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face.

Harry found it odd climbing onto the roof without seeing where his hands were but tried to get to his feet as quick as he could and within moments, he had counted a dozen masked Death Eaters, looking as though they were about to begin their attack.

He snapped out a handful of banishing hexes, sending Death Eaters off the roof, before realising that if they had any sense, they would just apparate to safety, which made him consider what would happen when they landed, would they carry their momentum with them? Would they still end up dying from landing, still travelling the same speed they were falling?

The sound of rushing green death tore past him and Harry snapped back a silent piercing curse at the Death Eater before deciding his disillusioning charm wouldn't protect him for much longer.

Seeing another killing curse rush past him forced Harry to admit that there was no chance that the Death Eaters were messing around, or it was a crazy training exercise by Dumbledore. A determined scowl appeared on his face as he resolved to fight to his hardest.

'_About time young one.'_ Godric growled just as Harry leapt into action.

He sent a knee reversing hex at one Death Eater, purposely botching it so the muscles in the man's knees were messed up. Leaving the man howling in agony a moment later, laying on the roof.

After ducking another killing curse, Harry returned with a gouging spell to the Death Eater, tearing a hole in the man's chest. An overpowered severing charm cut deep into another Death Eater while a blasting hex made a Death Eater's wand explode, along with his hand.

It soon became clear that while Harry was disillusioned, the Death Eaters knew his general area and started concentrating their killing curses and other area effect spells in his general area.

Harry created a smokescreen about five metres in diameter, shielding him further from view. He left the smokescreen, still disillusioned, smirking as he saw the Death Eaters continuing to fire blind into the cloud of smoke.

Once he was closer to the Death Eaters, he shielded his position from view, hiding in front of one while he blocked the others from view. A Reductor curse sending him off the train to his death with a hole in his chest. The remaining three Death Eaters nearby were sent off the train in the same manner, moments apart and Harry couldn't help the grin from his face, his Occlumency barriers held back the horror at what he was doing until he was done.

At the front of the train stood a smirking Lucius Malfoy with no mask, surrounded by six Death Eaters that Harry didn't recognise. Harry felt his disillusionment charm fade and was honestly surprised it had lasted so long.

'Ah Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived has grown teeth after all. This is exciting.' Lucius drawled as he glanced Harry up and down, assessing him.

Harry snarled.

He knew better than to talk with his opponents, Godric had drilled it into his head that when your opponent is trying to talk, they are biding their time, which is something you don't want to give them.

With a soundless banishing hex, Harry sent another Death Eater away from the train. The man's screams sounded longer than Harry could hear them. He knew he had to avoid a direct conflict with Lucius for the moment, the man was far more powerful than the other Death Eaters on the train.

'_You're right young one, it is a part of your magic sensing.'_ Godric confirmed.

'What? I can sense power levels?' grunted Harry, sending out a handful of explosion hexes at a group of three Death Eaters, sending another off the train from the explosion which tore a wide hole in the train's roof. Shrapnel tore through a nearby Death Eater, slitting his throat and he fell to the train roof with his hands around his throat.

'_More or less, yes. Though I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to it as such.'_ Godric grumbled.

'_Duck._' Godric added which Harry followed without hesitation, only for a sickly yellow curse he didn't recognise pass over him from behind.

Harry remembered Godric's training, situational awareness.

Harry dared a glance behind him, seeing his earlier smokescreen had faded. He flicked out another before spinning to his side, dodging another killing curse.

The smokescreen dissipated moments later, Lucius waving his wand, but that was all the time Harry needed, a trio of piercing hexes dropping the three remaining Death Eaters around Lucius.

'You can still give up Potter, I'm sure the Dark Lord will spare your friends here on the train if you come willingly.' Lucius purred.

'Otherwise, you can remember for the rest of your life that the lives of the students on this train were on your hands, when you chose yourself above them.' The blond-haired Death Eater said with a smirk.

A vibrant green curse sped past Harry from behind and he pirouetted, sending an explosion hex at the Death Eater who cast it, the hex blew another hole in the roof and Harry engorged one piece of shrapnel so that it almost cut the man in half, the force of the shrapnel carrying him off the roof to fall to his death.

Harry growled as he had three Death Eaters behind him while Lucius stood in front of him, an enraged snarl escaping the aristocratic man who Harry had noticed had been defensive until now.

He flung another smokescreen in front of Lucius and sent a flurry of curses and hexes at the three Death Eaters, uncaring of any damage done to the roof of the train.

Within moments the smokescreen was gone once more, but so were the Death Eaters.

Harry turned, flinging out another smokescreen behind him, hoping to cut off any further reinforcements for Malfoy. He didn't give the long-haired man a chance to dispel another smokescreen and fired a stream of spells at the enraged Lord.

Within seconds, Harry realised he was outmatched. While he had brute power over the Death Eater, Lucius had far more skill. Lucius' sheer power was far beyond the other Death Eaters, it was no wonder that the man was in Voldemort's inner circle.

Harry noticed after a minute that Malfoy's shields couldn't take more than a single spell of Harry's, but the man used them as disposable shields, flinging them up at the exact moment they were needed and forgetting them just afterward.

Harry scowled, knowing that the man had experience and skill that Harry simply couldn't match.

He felt himself tiring from the constant fighting and he did the math in his head he'd dealt with about twenty Death Eaters, but he noticed the smokescreen behind him dissipate and another dozen Death Eaters stepped through the clearing smoke and Harry found himself surrounded again.

'Give up young Potter. You would be dead already if the Dark Lord didn't want you alive. However, this is your last chance before I start killing your friends beneath us.' Malfoy called, his wand pointing at the roof beneath them, his eyebrows raised in question.

Harry snarled, his teeth clenched before in a burst of flame, Dumbledore appeared behind the newest Death Eaters, all of them stunned and bound before Fawkes' flames dissipated.

Harry blinked in shock and noticed Lucius Malfoy growl, taking a step away from the Headmaster.

Lucius put a hand in the pocket of his robe and a moment later disappeared, along with all the other Death Eaters that lay on the roof, even the ones Harry was sure he had killed.

With an explosive sigh, Harry fell to the roof and lay down, gasping for breath as Dumbledore strode to stand beside him, before with a groan, joining Harry on the roof, taking a seat.

Harry met the Headmasters gaze, the old man's eyes seeming to bore into him.

'_Dumbledore is using passive Legilimency and is exceptional at it.'_ Godric warned.

Harry couldn't help but release a bark-like laugh.

'So that's how you always knew what was going on.' Harry exclaimed, Dumbledore jerked back in surprise as Harry kept laughing.

'What do you mean my boy?' the Headmaster asked, looking over his half-moon spectacles at Harry.

Harry couldn't stop the laughter, he knew it would turn to tears if he didn't clamp down on his emotions again, until he could release them later. He felt the adrenaline wear off and the shock of the battle settle on him. Using Occlumency, Harry bottled his emotions until he could work through them later that night.

Moments later he let out a breath before meeting the Headmasters gaze once more.

'I've had a very productive summer Professor, there is a great deal for me to tell you. But I think it is probably a good idea to get this train moving again. Is it okay if I meet you in your office after the feast sir?' Harry proposed, not ready to explain everything on the roof of the Hogwarts Express.

Harry couldn't help the slight grin he wore as Dumbledore gave him a strange expression before shaking his head.

'Of course, my boy, I look forward to it.' The ancient wizard said before sending Harry a confused frown and apparating away with an almost silent pop.

Harry sighed.

'Godric, I need to learn how to do that one of these days.'

'_I'll try to fit it in, your schedule is rather hectic already if you hadn't noticed.'_ Godric deadpanned and Harry let out a laugh.

A minute later, Harry climbed back into his compartment to see Luna reading a magazine, _The Quibbler._

Upside down.

Harry sat down and unlocked the door wave a careless wave of his wand as the train started moving again.

Luna glanced at him over the top of her magazine.

'The Nargles seem to have left the train, did you have anything to do with that Harry?' Luna asked and Harry grinned, enjoying the strange girls' conversations.

He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes in thought.

'Perhaps, I'm not sure if the people up there could be Nargles, what do they look like?' Harry asked and Luna put down her magazine, excitement shining in her eyes.

'Well…'

* * *

Harry lay back on the seat in the train compartment, Luna had given him a crash course on Nargles and had returned to her magazine while he had fallen into his mindscape.

He stood on an open plain of green grass overlooking an early Hogwarts, from Godric's time.

'Godric, how do you do it? Live with the knowledge you have killed someone?' Harry asked, his gaze upon the castle in the distance.

'Am I a monster? I remember what I did, I was smiling as I killed some of those people.' Harry groaned, even the beauty of the scene in front of him failing to instil calm on his troubled thoughts.

Godric stood beside him, a hand on Harry's shoulder.

'Young one, there are a few things wrong with your worries. First, equating those Death Eaters to men, they were monsters. Harry, they came to this train to kill children. There is not much lower than these people, and I only know what you know, I am positive that they are worse than you know.' Godric explained, Harry frowned, considering the spirits words.

'Those Death Eaters killed people, they were trying to kill you. What you did was like killing a giant spider or a rabid dog, you were doing the community a service by removing them.' Godric continued.

'Secondly, these last few months, you have been trained much like how a soldier is trained. You took in your surroundings, decided on a course of action and achieved your goals. You protected the students and you only started using lethal force after they did.' Godric said, his hand squeezing Harry's shoulder in a firm grip.

Godric turned Harry to face him, looking deep into Harry's eyes.

'I am proud of you. And while you have a long way to go, we are well on our way to being ready to confront your Voldemort or Salazar, whenever we encounter him.'

Then, the large man ruffled Harry's hair.

'Now, relax with your strange new friend and maybe replace the window.' Godric said as Harry came out of his mindscape.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes and groaned as he felt his body had grown stiff and he felt weak from the heavy use of his magic. Then with a gasp as his joints cracked and popped in his back and shoulders, he pointed at the window frame and conjured a wooden board and casting a sticking charm on it to hold the board in place until they arrived at Hogwarts.

'Why did you cover it up Harry? I was enjoying the wind.' Luna asked and he cocked a grin at her.

'Well, I didn't want to risk any more Nargles getting into the train through an open window.

Luna blinked at him, then smiled.

'You're right, why didn't I think of that?' she smiled, Harry grinned before the door to the compartment opened to reveal Ron and Hermione, back from their prefect duties.

'What happened to the window?' Hermione screeched as they entered the room while Ron stood and gaped, jaw to the floor.

Harry shared a glance with Luna who gave him a wide smile.

Luna turned to Ron and Hermione and gave them her dreamy smile.

'It was the Nargles, Harry had to use the window to chase them away.' The blonde girl said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Harry rolled his eyes with a grin.

'Well, that and there were Death Eaters, who were possibly Nargles in disguise, on the roof.' Harry added, trying to keep a straight face.

Hermione and Ron stared at Harry in horror.

'B-but how? What? Huh?' Ron asked, looking like his brain had just exploded. Hermione wasn't much better.

'Oh, I only kept them busy until Dumbledore arrived, he chased them off.' Harry explained, unwilling to tell them all that he was sure he had killed twenty people that day.

The rest of the train ride passed in relative peace as Ron and Hermione badgered Harry about details while Luna read her magazine.

Still upside down.

* * *

As they entered the great hall that evening, many of the students were discussing the battered state of the train and the attack, though it soon became clear to Harry that none of them actually _saw_ anything.

They all heard what sounded like a battle, and the roof was shredded from spell damage, but nobody had seen anything. Though a few lower year students reported seeing black shapes falling from the sky past the windows.

Luna left the three Gryffindor's to sit at the Ravenclaw table by herself.

Harry led Ron and Hermione to the Gryffindor table, taking a seat. A moment later they turned to him with raised eyebrows. He opened his mouth to speak before a pair of hands came to rest on his shoulders. The hands belonged to the Weasley twins who leaned over Harry with wide grins on their faces.

'Harrikins, old chap-'

'So glad to see you here-'

'How was your time with-'

'Your silver haired goddess?'

'You seemed to enjoy your birthday-'

'Though how much was because of her-'

'And how much was us, we don't know.'

Harry blinked, then turned a grin on the twins.

'I had a great time at my birthday Gred, Forge. Before I forget, I must thank you for your wonderful presents, I put them to good use over summer. I also made some notes about them in case they help in further development.' Harry smirked as he saw the twin's eyes glisten as he pulled a folded-up piece of paper from his robes he wore over his dragonhide outfit taken from Godric's wardrobe.

He handed them the paper and the twins gazes met before clapping Harry on the shoulders and leaving without a word.

Harry chuckled at the astonished expressions on his friends' faces.

'I had a busy summer period.' He shrugged.

Hermione's face turned serious, but she almost looked like she would crack.

'Harry, I know something is wrong. There's something you're not telling us.' She started, ducking her head as she avoided getting hit by a Hufflepuff student sitting at the table beside them who was gesturing wildly while explaining something.

'Did we do something wrong? Is that why you haven't told us?' she asked, and it surprised Harry at how fragile she sounded.

Harry shook his head, a small smile on his face.

'No, no that's not it at all. It's just that it's going to take a while to explain what's going on and I can't have other people around, you know the usual, secrets and stuff.' He said, his voice low. They nodded.

'_Young one, remember, you can't tell them anything until they learn Occlumency.'_ Godric's voice added and Harry nodded with a sigh.

'But before I tell you. I need you guys to learn Occlumency, it's a way to protect your mind from outside sources. There is a type of magic call Legilimency that reads minds, Dumbledore can do that. Now that I think about it, Voldemort can too, and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if Snape could too.' Harry murmured and saw their eyes go wide.

'I'll try to get you guys some books about it, or there might be some in the library. But anyways I can't tell you this stuff until you can protect your minds. Otherwise I don't know what will happen. But something bad for sure.' Harry admitted, his gaze on the table, unable to meet their eyes.

'Harry, it's okay. We had to keep secrets from you too, we don't like it, but there's nothing we can do. We'll learn whatever we need to so we can help you. Just tell us, is it to do with Dumbledore?' Hermione said and Ron nodded.

Harry ran a hand through his hair.

'I'm meeting up with Dumbledore after the feast. Hopefully I'll find out then.' He said, letting out a sigh of relief when his friends nodded.

* * *

After the feast finished, Harry said goodbye to Ron and Hermione who left to guide the first years up to the tower. He moved up to the head table, gesturing for Sirius to join him as they moved to stand in front of Dumbledore.

Dumbledore bid the professors a good night and they turned to leave before Harry moved to Professor McGonagall.

'Sorry Professor, but can I ask you to come to the Headmasters office with us please?' Harry asked, receiving a confused expression from the professor.

'Professors Dumbledore, Black? Do either of you know what this is about?' she asked, she turned back to Harry before a knowing expression crossed her face.

'Is this about what you alluded to in your letter mister Potter?' she asked, Dumbledore and Sirius looked to Harry in surprise.

'Yes, but I think it best if we all go up to the Headmasters office now. I am positive that you will need a seat for what I will tell you. Sirius knows already.' Harry said, nodding to Sirius who figured out what Harry was doing.

'You could have told me we were telling them tonight pup.' Sirius whined and Harry chuckled. Dumbledore's eyes just twinkled at them before he turned and begun the long walk up to his office, the three others trailing behind them in silence.

Fifteen minutes later the four sat in the Headmasters office, once they all took a seat McGonagall waved her wand and Harry felt privacy wards activate. He saw the Headmaster's eyes widen before further wards activated, then Sirius added his own.

Harry sighed, putting up one that Godric had taught him. McGonagall's and Dumbledore's eyes widened at Harry putting up a ward they didn't recognise.

'Mister Potter, what is going on?' the transfiguration professor demanded in her stern tone.

Harry sighed before taking a deep breath.

'The train was delayed today because of an attack on it by Death Eaters.' Harry declared, McGonagall gasped, and Sirius ran his hands through his hair.

'But we didn't lose anyone, what happened?' Sirius asked.

'I fought them off. I… I killed most of the Death Eaters that attacked the train. Some I sent off the roof-' Harry paused, taking another breath as Sirius's hand held his in a tight grip. McGonagall let out another gasp, her eyes wide as she stared at Harry.

Dumbledore lost the twinkle in his gaze and a look of utter defeat covered his face, the old man sagged in his throne-like chair and looked every part of his age.

Harry took another breath, steadying his emotions, he couldn't allow himself to release them just yet. That would be in his mindscape with Godric later.

Schooling his features, Harry clamped down with his Occlumency before continuing.

'The Death Eaters were throwing killing curses at me and they were led by Lucius Malfoy, whom I fought, though I couldn't defeat him. They had just gotten the upper hand on me when the Headmaster arrived, and they escaped.' Harry explained, his gaze moving between the three adults with him.

Sirius squeezed his hand.

'Pup, they are monsters, all of them. They kill people, they were on that train to kill _children_.' Sirius started before Harry gave him a thankful smile but held up a hand to interrupt.

'I know that Sirius, but that isn't what this meeting is about.' Harry paused, his gaze turning to Professor McGonagall.

'Professor how is your Occlumency?' he asked with a raised eyebrow. Her stern expression lifted to reveal a look of shock.

'It's passable, I have had little cause to use it since the last war, why?' she asked, and Harry smiled.

'_I believe these three will help you achieve your goals, you chose well young one.'_ Godric said after Harry had given a mental prod for his opinion.

Harry took a deep breath.

'This will be difficult to explain, Sirius can you help me out if I miss anything?' Harry asked, looking to Sirius who nodded with a wide grin, eager to see the reactions of the two older professors.

'I suppose the biggest thing is that I currently have the spirit of Godric Gryffindor inhabiting my body with me.' Harry said and heard Sirius fall of his chair laughing while the other two professors stared at him, McGonagall with shock and Dumbledore with wide eyes that quickly narrowed.

'You are possessed by him?' the ancient wizard asked, his voice cold.

'No, he can if necessary, take over my body, which is what happened when Barty Crouch Junior tried to kill me after the third task by the way. But no, my body is my own.' Harry said, a small smile on his face as he watched McGonagall working her way through the news.

'This summer I have been staying with Sirius and Remus and they have been training me almost non-stop. Godric has also been teaching me in my dreams, that privacy ward I put up a few minutes ago? That was from him.' Harry added before he took a breath, wary of the narrowed eyes the Headmaster still had.

'But the thing I needed you here for is that we, as in Godric, myself, Sirius and Remus, believe that the Inferi Menace is a symptom. Voldemort's ritual did more than bring him back to life. It somehow damaged the gates to the underworld and the more powerful spirits were able to escape.' Harry started, running a hand through his hair as he tried to find the right words.

'Godric himself left the underworld, following his enemy from his own time, Salazar Slytherin. But Godric was in Elysium and for some reason could not truly leave, so he is merely inside my mind rather than roaming the world as a wraith.' Harry said and Dumbledore jerked back in surprise.

'Harry my boy, you're saying that the wraith reports are of powerful spirits that have escaped the underworld. How do we know this is true?' Dumbledore asked.

Sirius smirked.

'Because when Harry told me, I asked to duel Godric and was thoroughly trounced.'

'The power he knows not…' Dumbledore whispered, but Harry caught it.

'Headmaster?' Harry asked before Dumbledore cleared his throat.

'Harry my boy, can Godric hear this conversation?' the Headmaster asked, and Harry nodded, his eyes narrowed.

'Godric, do you plan on teaching Harry to use Battle Magic?' Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded again.

'Right now, they are trying to get me to the point where I can use it safely. My core, while large is not efficient or developed enough just yet. Though in about a month that should change.' Harry explained and the aged Headmaster sighed.

Dumbledore sat back in his chair with another sigh and looked over his half-moon spectacles at Harry.

'You obviously trust these two with heavy secrets. So, I feel that I have another to add into the mix as they say.' Dumbledore paused and stood from his throne-like chair, moving to take a stone bowl out from a drawer before placing it on his desk, between the four of them.

'This my boy is a pensieve. We use it to store and display copies of memories. There are only a handful of them in the world.' The Headmaster sighed and using his wand drew a white wispy light from his temple before placing it in the pensieve.

'Harry, there was a prophecy made before your birth, during the height of the last war that told of a child who would one day defeat the Dark Lord. Voldemort heard the first half of the prophecy and he acted on it, hunting down the families that fit the description given by the prophecy. This pensive will show you the entire prophecy.' Dumbledore said, his face sagging in defeat as he waved his wand and a picture of a much younger and less crazed looking Trelawny stood in a hazy hologram above the pensieve.

Then in a voice he remembered from his third year when Pettigrew escaped, she spoke.

'_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.'_

'_Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies.'_

'_And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not.' 'And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.'_

Harry listened to the prophecy; his eyes narrowed. He noticed Sirius doing the same while McGonagall sipped a cup of tea, digesting the information.

In his mind, he knew Godric was doing the same, Harry didn't know much of prophecy's apart from what happened at the end of his third year.

Harry looked to the Headmaster, looking far older than he had ever seen the man before.

'Professor, this prophecy doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know, or suspect. Now I may be missing something, but Voldemort has been trying to kill me since I was born, now we know why.' He paused; his jaw clenched.

'We know why, but that changes nothing in my mind. It doesn't change the fact that I would have to fight him again, until one of us didn't survive the fight. I for one will try to ensure the monster stays down the next time.' Harry growled before cocking his head.

'Headmaster, until the graveyard, it seemed as though I had a piece of Voldemort's soul inside me, but it is now gone. Do you know anything about that? Godric and I haven't been able to figure out how it got there.' Harry asked and Dumbledore stared at him, blinking.

Dumbledore steepled his hand in front of his face as he focussed on something else. Harry and the others watched as his eyes darted across his vision.

'_He is using Occlumency to search his memories for something, the eyes are the dead giveaway here.'_ Godric explained and Harry could see what the spirit meant, now that he'd pointed it out.

A minute later Dumbledore blinked.

'Harry my boy, I hoped to keep this knowledge from you for a few more years, hoping to give you a childhood-' Harry scoffed before holding up his hands in surrender as an apology.

'But, that piece of Voldemort's soul was a Horcrux. A piece of his soul, kept separate from the rest of a person, so that if a person dies, it reduces them to a wraith, rather than fully dying.' Dumbledore explained.

Harry nodded.

'That makes sense, it sounds like something the monster would do. It was like the space in my mind where the Horcrux was, had created fissures that led throughout my mind, like the Horcrux had tentacles that had spread through my mind.' Harry explained and Dumbledore bowed his head.

'I'm sorry that you had to know all of this my boy.' The Headmaster murmured.

Harry leant forward on his chair, his elbows on his knees as he met the gazes of the adults in the room.

'I have encountered Voldemort more times than anyone in this room, save perhaps the Headmaster. The madman has been trying to kill me my entire life, none of this information has been a true surprise for me, just confirmation of Godric's and my assumptions. It will however help in the upcoming war, the war that would always happen.' Harry said, running a hand through his hair.

'But we cannot have any secrets in this. Any secrets will only weaken our defence. We cannot afford to keep anything from each other in this coming war. Godric believes one of these wraiths is Salazar Slytherin, meaning that not only will we be fighting a reborn Dark Lord, but one of the very founders of this school.' Harry sat back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hands.

The room was silent for a minute before Dumbledore stood.

'There is much to do it seems. So, if there is nothing else pressing, we will call it a night.' The Headmaster said and with a nod, Harry and the other two stood and left the office.

Just outside the office, Professor McGonagall turned to face Sirius and Harry.

'I will assist you in this.' She began, before narrowing her eyes at Harry.

'However, you may have trouble balancing everything. I have an idea, but leave it with me, I will talk to you in the morning. I trust Sirius can return you to the tower?' Professor McGonagall asked with a raised eyebrow while Sirius grinned at Harry.

'Of course, have a good evening Professor McGonagall.' Harry said, turning and leaving while Sirius did a small dance beside him.

'I can't believe I'm back in Hogwarts pup, and I'm allowed to be. I only wish that we didn't have Dark Lords and founders in the picture too.' Sirius groaned before perking up.

'Hey pup, what can you tell me about Professors Sinistra, Babbling and Vector?' Sirius grinned and Harry rolled his eyes, of course Sirius would be interested in the only women in the castle even close to his age.

'Sirius, while I'm all for you getting a girlfriend. I'll have to ask Hermione; I haven't taken their classes. Apart from Sinistra, though I never considered anything other than what she was teaching about astronomy. Though I believe I am due to take the others' classes this year, I can put in a good word for you if you like?' Harry grinned as Sirius gave a loud whoop of joy.

Harry grinned; it'll be much easier to get around the castle at night if he is with a professor.

A few minutes later they found themselves at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

'Now pup, be ready at five in the morning, I'll be waiting right here.'

Harry entered the common room to find it empty and he went upstairs to write a letter to Fleur before bed.


	12. Chapter 12 - Godric's History Part 2

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing and do/will not make any money from this.

**Chapter 12: Godric's History Pt 2.**

Harry stood on the hill overlooking a newly constructed Hogwarts, Godric standing by his side in his mindscape. He watched as students walked through the grounds and looked to be enjoying a day off, many of them laying on the grass beside the black lake, which was smaller than it was in the present.

'I feel it is time to show you a little more of my past, I believe you are ready to see it.' Godric said, his face unreadable as he gazed down at the castle and its students.

'We'll be picking up the story five years after Hogwarts had accepted students, Salazar had been absent this entire time as he hunted down the Cabal.' Godric paused and closed his eyes, Harry was sure he saw a flash of regret cross his face before it was gone.

'If only we had paid more attention, Rowena, Helga and me. Maybe Salazar…' Godric trailed off before taking a deep breath.

'Prepare yourself young one.' Godric said as Harry nodded.

* * *

Godric strode from the entrance doors of the castle. His dragonhide outfit covered by a dark red and gold robe, a wide grin on his face.

He moved passed small clusters of students who gave him nods or smiles, but none said a word as they kept their eyes on either himself or the tall thin man at the main entrance gate to the grounds.

As Godric arrived at the gates, his smile grew as he saw his old friend, still dressed and groomed with impeccable taste. His robes a dark almost black green with silver embroidering across them.

'Salazar, my friend. I'm glad you have returned after so long.' Godric boomed, scattering a huddle of second year girls as they shrieked at the sudden greeting.

Salazar stood leaning on the gate with a smirk as he watched Godric move closer until he stepped forward. Godric wrapped his arms around his brother in all but blood before patting him on the back.

'It's been five years hasn't it?' Godric grinned, an arm around the man's shoulder.

'Indeed, it has my friend, I have much to tell you about my time away.' Salazar said before glancing around the grounds of the school.

'And, it seems you have much to share also, I'm glad to see we finally have students. When did this happen?' Salazar asked with a wide smile as the two made their way across the grounds toward the castle.

'It happened just after you left. Our first batch of students, Helga and I went around the surrounding villages and gathered up any we could find. Tuition is free for the first year at the moment.' Godric explained, continuing as he saw Salazar's raised eyebrow.

'Yes, free. At least until we get a reputation of being the first and finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the British Isles.' Godric announced, his free arm giving a grand gesture, encompassing the castle and its grounds.

'That seems… reasonable.' Salazar agreed, albeit with a slow drawl.

Godric led Salazar up into the great hall where Rowena and Helga were waiting. The great hall was large with a head table near the far wall and a dozen rectangular tables large enough to hold six students. The hall was far larger than needed, at least for the moment.

Rowena was pacing in front of the head table while Helga sat on one of the student tables, both women were looking toward the entrance doors as Godric led Salazar through them.

Hugs and greetings passed between the friends before Salazar sat on a table opposite Helga, matching her position, his feet on the seat while Godric stood with a hand on his hips. Godric stood opposite Rowena as the regal dark-haired woman fumbled with her hands, her eyes narrowed toward Salazar.

'So? Is it done? Must we continue looking over our shoulders Salazar?' Rowena asked, her voice low.

Salazar's gaze moved across the three others in the room.

'Yes, the Coven is finished, I eliminated the apprentices then the masters at the Black Citadel.' Salazar's gaze fell to the floor.

'Was it worth it? All that death, will this school be enough to erase the stain I bear on my soul?' Salazar asked, his voice a mere whisper.

Godric lay a hand on Salazar's shoulder.

'This school will stand until there are no wizards and witches left to defend it. What you have achieved Salazar will allow this school to train the next generation for years after we die.'

'He is right you know Salazar, without you, this school wouldn't exist, and not because of your family's wealth. Your determination and drive have done as much for this school as anything the rest of us have done.' Rowena agreed, brushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes with a scowl.

'Thank you, my friends, I apologise. I have been alone for so long with my thoughts that I am not used to a voice of reason.' Salazar gave them a weary grin before he met Helga's gaze.

'Helga, how have the students been going? I have a lot to catch up on it seems.' He asked with a smile as Helga beamed at him.

'Oh Salazar, the students are performing admirably. We even have a handful born from muggles, can you believe it?' she gushed and Salazar narrowed his eyes.

'Muggle born? How are they fitting in to our society? Do they cause any troubles due to their upbringing?' Salazar asked as Godric ran a hand through his hair.

'Now Salazar, we can't just blame muggles for everything. They're not all bad.' Godric added before Helga could speak, the short witch sighed.

'That's just it though Godric. We take the muggle born children in for their first year and they often perform just as well as the other students, but we rarely get them back for the second year.' Helga said, worry in her eyes.

Godric sighed, running a hand through his hair.

'Their muggle families probably just don't want to pay the tuition for later years, they probably have their children help them do chores with their magic. Life is rough out there without magic.' Godric explained, his arms outstretched. They'd had this argument before.

Salazar narrowed his eyes.

'Has anyone gone out to the muggle families to discover why they haven't sent their children back for their education after the holiday? These children are innocent, I have seen muggles do horrible things to each other, let alone a child who if upset can start fires with a thought.' He asked and his face turned pale as none of the others met his gaze.

'Truly? None of you? Godric? Surely you took steps to determine…' Salazar trailed off, letting out a growl.

Godric watched as Salazar closed his eyes to contain his emotions.

'Salazar, please understand, running this school is harder than we expected. It will take the rest of our lives to get everything underway here. We simply haven't had time.' Rowena argued as Salazar clenched his jaw before sighing.

'That may be so. But these children are our responsibility. We have taken them from their miserable lives outside these walls and shown them what life can be like with magic. Then we toss them out for months, to live in squalor with their muggle families?' Salazar growled.

'I will require a list of students who did not return for their second year for as far back as you can provide. After I determine their reasons, I will return.' Salazar let out another growl before stalking from the great hall.

Godric shared a glance with the two witches and sighed.

* * *

Godric sat on a flat stone, carved ritual circles covered its surface. He stared out over the black lake, lost in his thoughts before a twinge in the back of his mind told him Salazar had returned after three weeks.

Godric stood and made his way toward the large entrance gates as Salazar strode through them. He blanched as he saw Salazar looking dishevelled and shaking with rage.

'Salazar, what's wrong?' Godric called as Salazar came within earshot.

'Godric, you made a mistake. Go, fetch the others I need to tell you some grave news.' Salazar barked and Godric froze, he hadn't heard Salazar so short with him since they were children.

With a quick nod he fell in beside Salazar, sending a Patronus to Helga and Rowena to tell them to meet in the great hall.

The walk to the great hall was silent, tense and fast. Godric had to almost jog to keep up with the furious Salazar, the air around his friend was writhing as if in pain from the rage the man was keeping a tight rein on.

Godric strode beside Salazar as they entered the great hall. He took a seat on one of the student tables as Salazar paced back and forth as they waited for Rowena and Helga to arrive.

Helga was first and froze as soon as she entered the great hall, her eyes widening as she saw the visible magic coming from Salazar in waves as he held it in. A minute later Rowena joined them and froze as she saw Salazar's rage.

Godric watched with bated breath, waiting for Salazar to begin, to explain what was wrong.

He didn't have to wait long.

'You foolish…' Salazar started before closing his eyes, leashing his rage tighter.

'You should have checked on the muggle born students when you first noticed. We might have saved them.' He muttered.

Godric left his table and stepped toward his friend.

'Salazar, what are you talking about?'

'THE CHILDREN ARE BEING MURDERED.' Salazar thundered, Godric stared in silence as both Rowena and Helga recoiled at the tone.

'I went searching for those missing students, posing as a muggle only to discover that upon the day of the students return to their families, they were murdered. Whether by hanging, burning, stabbing or drowning.' Salazar snarled, the air around him looking almost alive as it writhed like snakes.

'Without fail, the muggles are killing their children for being unnatural, for being freaks.' Salazar spat the last word. He turned his gaze around each of his friends.

Godric couldn't believe what he was hearing.

'Surely Salazar, not all the muggle born? Surely some of them simply wished not to return?' he asked, a pleading note in his voice.

'Damn it Godric, the muggles will never accept us. Why can't you see that? Why do you always turn a blind eye to their very nature? They will always fear us, and what they fear they will inevitably try to destroy.' Salazar screamed, his face red with rage.

'Why are none of you seeing this as the horror that it is? After all the killing and blood that I have seen, all the lives I have taken, I never want to see another death. But these are innocent children we are talking about.' Salazar cried.

Godric stared at the floor, his expression matched by Rowena and Helga.

'Salazar, we must be patient with them. This will surely be something they fear. But in time they will accept us and understand that we can live together.' Godric said, with both Rowena and Helga nodding their assent.

Salazar stared at the three.

'Surely, we will not stand idly by as we send our students, the future of our people off to be killed by the barbaric muggles? Why do we not just separate the muggle born from their muggle families, keep them here over the summer where we can keep them safe?' Salazar pleaded.

Godric met his friends gaze.

'We cannot. We are a school Salazar; the kingdom will send its armies to crush us if we abduct its children. If we do that, we will be no worse than those muggles you hate so much.' He said, his voice low.

Salazar screamed.

'You cannot be serious? The muggles will never change, they will not rest until we are ground to dust. If you will not take action to protect the innocent, I will be forced to do it myself. Please Godric, Rowena, Helga. Help me save these children from death.'

'Salazar, we can't. We would risk everything we have built for only a chance to save a few children. We must think of all the students that call this school home.' Rowena replied, a tear in her eye.

'They're right Salazar. We are four, we cannot hold this castle against the might of the kingdom.' Helga added.

'Fine, send our future to their deaths. I will do everything I can to prepare them for what awaits them outside these walls. You will have to live with this choice for the rest of your lives. The day you chose the easy path over the right one.' Salazar snarled as he stalked from the great hall.

'Godric, are you sure we are doing the right thing?' Helga asked, her face white.

Godric closed his eyes and controlled his emotions, crushing them until he could deal with them later.

'Yes, the muggles will grow, if we help them.'

* * *

Harry stared at Godric; he didn't know what to say.

Godric didn't give him the chance.

'Young one, that day, is one of those decisions that I have regretted until this day. A thousand years in Elysium, and I would still return to that day to change it if I could.'

Harry watched the man sigh before Godric turned to him.

'But the rest is a story for another day.' Godric said, placing a grin on his face.

'Now, we must develop your skills further.'


	13. Chapter 13 - Return to Classes

**Disclaimer**: Still don't own the ideas and the HP verse.

**Chapter 13: Return to Classes.**

Harry paced in front of the entrance doors to Hogwarts. His breathing heavy as he shook his limbs, he was covered in sweat making his hair cling to his face.

'Good work this morning pup.' Heaved Sirius between gasps of air, the man was just as tired as Harry after their workout with the sun only starting its rise into the sky.

'Same time tomorrow then?' Harry asked, taking a deep breath only now getting his breathing under control.

'Sure thing, damn I'd forgotten how big these grounds were. James and I used to do this run to prepare for Quidditch.' Sirius grinned, still catching his breath while Harry chuckled.

'I guess there's a reason why there's a few trophies in the castle with his name on them then.' Harry grinned before turning to leave.

'See you at breakfast?' Harry asked but only received a half-hearted wave in response.

Chuckling, Harry went up to his dorm to shower and change. After he had cleaned himself up, he took the letter he had written Fleur the night before and made his way to the owlery.

'Hedwig.' Harry called as he entered the musty room, a moment later Hedwig flew down and landed on his shoulder with a soft hoot.

'Hey girl, this one is going to Fleur okay? She'll be at Beauxbatons by now. Feel free to stay with her for a few days if you like, she'll spoil you.' Harry grinned at the eager hoot, before tying the letter to her leg.

'Have a good flight girl.' He grinned as she nibbled his ear before leaping from his shoulder and into the air.

He watched her fly away into the distance for a few minutes before making his way down to the great hall.

His first thought upon entering is that he preferred the way the founders originally had it, with a series of smaller tables rather than one table per house.

Harry sat down at his usual spot on the Gryffindor table, being the first one in the hall he stifled a grin. He'd been up for a few hours already and remembered what he had been like the same time last year. As he reached out to fill his plate, he considered all the changes he had gone through in the last few months.

Physically he was almost nothing like he was a year before, and mentally, well he had a guest that was pushing him to improve and wouldn't let him get away with anything but his best.

But most importantly, at least to Harry, was that he had a reason to be doing everything the way he was. It wasn't just Voldemort, who was so bad that people refused to use his name, a decade after he was thought to have died. There were other enemies around somewhere just as bad as Voldemort.

All of this meant that Harry knew he had to step up, as Godric had told him. He had the power to protect people, this meant he had to, otherwise that power was just wasted.

His musing was disrupted as Ron and Hermione sat down across from him and with a start, he noticed that much of the great hall was now full of students. He couldn't believe he'd zoned out so much.

'Hey guys, good morning.' Harry grinned at his friends as he took a bite out of his now cold piece of toast.

'How long have you been down here Harry? I couldn't find you in the dorm this morning?' Ron asked, piling up the food on his plate.

'Ron? Do you have to fill your plate so much? It's not as if we run out, ever.' Hermione groaned, running her hand across her face. Ron just scowled at her.

'Imagroaingboymione' Ron said through his mouthful of food, causing Lavender and Parvati sitting nearby to cringe and turn away, disgust on their faces. Hermione stared at the redhead before shaking her head.

'I'm a growing boy, Hermione.' Harry supplied with a smirk, to which Ron grinned, showing half chewed food in his mouth.

Harry glanced at Ron and shook his head.

'Mate, don't do that. Just. Don't.' Harry groaned and Ron stared at him, betrayal in his eyes.

'Okay, it was funny when I didn't have to see that. Just eat one thing at a time, please?' Harry asked, noticing thankful expressions sent his way by Hermione and the other girls. The looks he was getting from the female members of the school surprised him.

They looked hungry.

'Hermione.' Harry whispered, leaning toward her, she met him halfway.

'Why is everyone looking at me like this? I don't think I did anything yet, and the papers haven't been too bad to me over the summer. What did I miss?' he asked, voice loud enough only for Hermione to hear.

He didn't expect her howls of laughter, or her hitting the table as she laughed. She held her stomach with one hand while steadying herself against the table on the other. The stares from around the great hall were firmly rooted on her until she calmed herself after a minute.

She met his gaze, wiping a tear from her eye before she started laughing again.

Harry looked to Ron who was thankfully without a mouthful of food.

'What did I do? You think maybe I broke her?' Harry asked.

Ron gaped at their bushy haired friend before shrugging.

'She's always been a bit barmy mate, maybe she just finally snapped?'

Harry shook his head and waited for Hermione to calm herself down.

It didn't happen soon.

Professor McGonagall approached them a few minutes later to hand out their schedules, the stern professor stared at Hermione as the girl tried to keep her chuckles under control.

'Miss Granger, I would appreciate it if you would either share what is so funny, or to control yourself. Your behaviour is most unlike you.'

Hermione sobered herself up moments later, giving the stern transfiguration professor a nod.

'Of course Professor, my apologies.' She said, sending a glare at Harry before accepting her schedule from a muttering professor McGonagall who had since moved on to other students.

Ron groaned.

'History of Magic in the morning? Why did I even bother getting up?'

Harry chuckled and saw his schedule was different.

'I've got Defence…' he trailed off, but not before Hermione heard, taking his schedule from him.

'Harry, your classes are all different from ours. I think they made a mistake.' She said, half standing from her position.

Harry pulled her back down.

'I forgot to tell you, I did my OWLs over the summer, due to, you know the task I have and the secrets. So, I guess I'm doing sixth year stuff.' He explained and Hermione's eyes went wide.

'I had forgotten about that. Harry, I can't believe I forgot, you told us at your party. So much has happened since then.' Hermione groaned.

'Hey, it's okay Hermione. I forgot too, and I was the one who did them.' Harry said, keeping his voice low.

'Harry, mate. You're doing way too much work. When will you have time to relax?' Ron cautioned, looking uncharacteristically worried.

'Ron, you'll just have to do the relaxing for both of us. After doing your work of course.' Harry finished with a wink to Hermione who looked ready to scold them both. Hermione went red and just let out the breath she was holding.

The sound of wings disrupted the conversation as owls flooded into the great hall, dropping copies of the daily prophet and other letters and newspapers around the hall to waiting students.

After skimming through her copy of the prophet, Hermione turned to Harry with raised eyebrows.

'Harry, they've got a story about the train. In it they basically say they don't know what happened. But they also mention that several prominent members of the ministry haven't been seen since yesterday. These same members were also accused of being Death Eaters after Voldemort's first fall.' Hermione explained and Harry's mind rushed through the possibilities, and what he could tell his friends without them knowing Occlumency.

Hermione lowered her voice so that only Harry and Ron could hear her.

'I understand you can't tell us everything, but did you do more than just keep them busy like you said on the train?' Hermione asked and Harry groaned, running a hand through his hair.

'Yes, I did. And I feel horrible because of it.' He said, eyes downcast, Ron placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it while Hermione gave him a soft smile.

'It's okay Harry. We understand. As much as I want to deny you'll be in the middle of all this, I can't. It's a war, and in war…' Hermione trailed off.

'In war, people die.' Ron finished, much to Harry's surprise.

Harry nodded.

'Thanks guys.'

* * *

Harry grinned as he sat in Defence, he sat beside Katie Bell as they watched Sirius explaining the concept of counter jinxes in a practical setting.

'Now class, counter jinxes are great. But the key to a strong defence in either a duel or a battle or whatever is situational awareness.' Sirius explained and Harry grinned.

Katie gave him a nudge with her shoulder.

'What are you grinning about you loon?' she whispered, her cheeks turning red as he turned his grin on her.

Before he could speak, his attention was drawn to the front of the room.

'Harry, get down here could you?' Sirius barked with a grin and Harry sighed.

'Now class, you all know Harry, he did his OWLs over the summer and is now in your year effectively. But right now, he will show you what I have been saying for the last twenty minutes.' Sirius explained, then started firing hexes without warning.

Harry grinned as he dodged, deflected, and blocked the spells Sirius sent at him, all the while avoiding the tables and chairs which were around him. Then with a smirk, he changed direction, moving through the seated students.

There were screams and shrieks as Sirius fired spells into the students, Harry had to reflect the spells back at Sirius and shield the students to stop anything bad from happening before Sirius stopped with a wide grin.

'Good work. Now class, that was situational awareness and counter jinxes. Notice how once he found himself in an area where there were innocents, his tactics changed to suit the situation? Also notice how he didn't trip over anything while he was avoiding being jinxed?' Sirius lectured and the class looked between the two in stunned silence.

Harry made his way back to his seat, grinning at a red-faced Katie.

'You okay?' Harry asked, getting only a nod in return.

* * *

Potions was unpleasant for Harry, but thanks to liberal use of Occlumency he had produced a perfect potion. He had found it easier to brew, ignoring Snape's looming form while being able to remember snippets of information about the potion and how the ingredients interact from other texts he had read up on.

Having Godric monitoring his progress worked wonders too.

After Potions had finished, as the students were packing up their supplies Snape spoke.

'Potter, stay behind, the rest of you get out.'

Harry held back the grin. Even with getting an O in his early OWLs in potions and making a perfect potion, Snape would still berate him for being useless.

Once they were alone, Snape waved his wand and the door slammed shut and glowed blue for a moment as privacy and locking charms ensured their privacy.

'Potter with the Dark Lord active once more, his followers are always looking to capture you or your friends. While I will never see why the Headmaster thinks you are important, he does. You have a role to play in this mess and I do not want to see you jeopardise everything because of foolish grudges or petty schoolyard behaviour.' Snape growled.

'Am I clear Potter?' he finished with an icy glare.

Harry nodded.

'Thank you for the warning Professor. I have far more important things to concern myself with than foolish grudges and petty schoolyard behaviour. We all do.' Harry said before he turned and left the room.

Leaving behind a thoughtful looking Snape.

* * *

Harry dodged curses and hexes from Sirius by the Black Lake later that night. It was approaching ten o'clock and sweat covered the two as they collapsed on the grass after their workout.

'Pup, I don't think you're getting as much out of this one-on-one training with me anymore. We may need to bring in Remus so we can challenge you further.' Sirius groaned, laying back on the grass with his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Harry glanced over at his Godfather and grinned.

'It's just 'cos you're an old man. Nothing wrong with that.' Harry shot with a teasing lilt in his tone.

Sirius scowled.

'I also think we need to find a hidden place to train, it's beautiful out here, but everyone with eyes can see us. We just need somewhere hidden in the castle, but I don't want to destroy all the abandoned classrooms.' Sirius groaned.

'Yeah, you're right, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched out here. But I'll ask around, maybe the twins will have found somewhere the marauders never did.' Harry said with his grin growing wider.

'We can hope pup, but anyway, we will have to get you to sleep soon. We should probably head back.' Sirius sat up, grumbling about being too old before patting the dirt and grass off his clothes and holding a hand out to Harry.

Harry stood and together they made their way up the almost silent grounds into the silent castle, Sirius greeting a prefect patrol as they approached Gryffindor tower.

'Have a good night pup, see you in the morning.' Sirius said, gathering Harry in a hug before releasing him.

Harry nodded at his Godfather with a grin before entering the common room to find Ron and Hermione waiting for him.

'Hey guys, you're still up?' Harry greeted, seeing Ron surrounded by transfiguration books and Hermione across from him on their table surrounded by books on runes.

Hermione turned to him.

'Harry, we're making sure we have our homework done so that we can work on Occlumency. We think we're ready to start, but we don't have any books yet.' She said with a frown.

Harry smirked, that frown meant that Hermione had already pored through the library and found nothing on Occlumency in it.

'It's okay, I can give you a few pointers until we order some books for you two.' Harry said as he took a seat at their table.

'Can't we just use your books?' Ron asked with a scowl and Harry let out a bark-like laugh, then resolving that he spent too much time with Sirius he smiled at his friend.

'I learnt, one on one. No books. And the one who trained me can't train anyone else, its, an accessibility issue.' Harry explained, a small frown on his face.

He took a deep breath.

'Okay, so the first thing we need to do to learn Occlumency is to clear your minds.'

* * *

The first week of school passed by with Remus joining in with Harry and Sirius' training. Harry found that the amount of assignments he had to do was impacting the amount of training he could do. Learning wasn't the problem for him, it was the hours of research and writing for each assignment that slowed his training.

He was now Sirius' unofficial assistant in his Defence classes, helping other students to learn the content after helping Sirius demonstrate.

But they still hadn't found a good place to train indoors until one evening an idea popped into a sweating Harry's mind.

'Sirius. Do you think the house-elves would know of any secret rooms? Ones you guys never found?' Harry asked and Sirius' eyes widened.

'Of course, why didn't I think about that?' Sirius groaned, face-palming.

'Cos you're old?' Harry grinned before it fell off his face.

'Dobby.' Harry called and with a sharp crack the little elf appeared with a wide grin.

'Great Master Harry Potter sir, how can Dobby helps you?' Dobby asked with wide eyes.

Harry grinned at the little elf.

'Dobby, we need to find a place in the castle that we can train, and you know how destructive we can be sometimes.' Harry said and Dobby nodded, his ears flapping.

'Yes, yes Great Master Harry Potter sir. Dobby can shows you.'

Dobby took Harry and Sirius' hands and with a sharp crack they appeared in one of the corridors of Hogwarts, Sirius glanced around them in thought.

'Seventh floor, right? Barnabus the Barmy?' Sirius asked Dobby who nodded.

'What are we doing here?' Harry asked before Dobby grinned.

'If Great Master Harry Potter sir and his Dogfather walk past this stretch of wall three times, thinking of the room you want, it will appear.' Dobby explained; excitement written over his face.

Harry did so, thinking about a room for them to train, after his third pass, a door opened in the wall and they entered, finding a massive room, far larger than a handful of abandoned classrooms combined.

There were training dummies as well as swords and shields mounted on the wall.

'This. Place. Is. Awesome.' Whispered Sirius.

* * *

The next morning, Harry sat in the great hall with Ron and Hermione while they had their breakfast. Hermione was busy reading the daily prophet.

'Harry, the Prophet says that the Inferi Menace is starting to be controlled now. The Aurors are finally starting to catch up with all the sightings.' She said, even as she continued reading.

'S'about time.' Ron muttered; his mouth mostly empty of food.

A slight look of distaste crossed Harry's face as he glanced toward Ron, but he turned back to Hermione.

'Does it say anything else?' Harry asked, buttering another slice of toast.

'Only that the Obliviator's are struggling to keep up with the amount of exposure the Inferi are causing to the muggles. And it seems like those wraith things haven't been seen for a while. Do you think maybe they were just people fearing shadows?' she asked, her eyes still glued to the paper.

'No Hermione, I think they were far more than that. I'm kind of more worried now that they aren't being seen to be honest.' Harry said, letting out a sigh as his gaze darted around the great hall.

The Slytherin table seemed unnaturally quiet and subdued. The first-year students wore blank expressions, while a few of the second and third-year students wore the same. Harry shrugged, turning back to his breakfast before they left for classes.

* * *

That night, Harry got a letter from Fleur. Hedwig delivering it to Harry.

'Hedwig, so you stayed with Fleur while she wrote a reply?' Harry asked, Hedwig gave a soft hoot.

'How much did she spoil you?' he continued, Hedwig turned a baleful glare on him before turning away, batting his face with her wing before she left.

'I don't think I deserved that.' Harry groaned before turning his attention to Fleur's letter and laying on his bed, putting up privacy charms around him.

_Dear Harry,_

_I am back in Beauxbatons now and it is strange being back here. _

_Memories of my previous years all blur together, though unfortunately, most of them are unpleasant. _

_The professors and students are treating me mostly as a professor's assistant this year, which is a strange feeling. I am still viewed with distrust from the girls in the school and the boys still follow me around like lost puppies, but mostly I am left to my own devices. _

_I must admit, now that I have been at Hogwarts for the past year, I feel that Beauxbatons is lacking something. It is a school, much like Hogwarts, but it does not have the grand atmosphere or the sheer magic that Hogwarts holds. It is hard to explain._

_I feel that I should be somewhere else. There is a Call in the back on my mind, beckoning me to go to it. But I must finish my NEWTs, I have asked Maman about the Call, she tells me it is a Veela thing. _

_That the Matriarch is calling the Veela together, but that hasn't happened in a hundred years. My family are staying in France, we will answer the Call once I am finished with my NEWTs in a few months._

_Maman also tells me that the Veela in general are acting strange, further than the Call, she wasn't able to explain to me quite how they were acting strange though. Though I do not have as much experience with other Veela as Maman does though, so I will follow her lead._

_I wish I could see you in person, I prefer talking to you in person, rather than writing everything down. _

_I hope you are studying hard; It would make me happy to see you outside of school sooner rather than later._

_Love, _

_Fleur._

Harry smiled as his eyes drooped closed, the letter laying on his chest before he fell to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Harry read the prophet after Hermione handed it to him. The further he read the more his jaw clenched, the whiter his knuckles became.

**_Attacks across UK._**

_A series of attacks occurred around the country yesterday. _

_The Inferi Menace is still in a dangerous position with Aurors able to control the Inferi numbers, but there are still reports of them across the globe. But we are assured that the worst of this menace is past._

_However, more attacks occurred yesterday with the Dark Mark being sighted over a handful of towns, both muggle and magical._

_Azkaban has been emptied, its prisoners either Kissed or escaped, along with the Dementors._

_A handful of towns in Bulgaria have been found abandoned of people, though animals were left unharmed, the people just having disappeared._

_There was a massive burst of magical energy centred at Caerleon in Wales, an ancient Roman fortress._

_All these events provide too many questions. What is causing these attacks? _

_This reporter asks the public, due to these attacks, why is the Minister still calling Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter attention seeking liars? They warned us of this months ago. _

_Why is the Ministry trying to silence them?_

_Brian Bunsworth._

Harry put the paper down and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

'_Things are about to get worse. We don't have time for you to continue your classes young one.'_ Godric said in Harry's mind.

Harry nodded, he knew it too.

* * *

That evening Harry lay gasping for breath in the Room of Requirement. Across the room from him lay both Sirius and Remus, they were bound and stunned.

They had been duelling for hours and all were exhausted. It had taken everything Harry could think of to beat the two men. But in the end, he had simply summoned a piece of debris from behind Remus, knocking the werewolf unconscious as the debris crashed into the back of his head. Then before Sirius had had time to think, Harry bound him tight with conjured rope.

As his breathing slowed, Harry groaned, sitting up and rubbing a tender spot in his side where Sirius had hit him with a good bludgeoning hex. He hobbled across the room before waving his wand at the two men before dropping to one knee.

'I think we're done for the night yeah?' Harry coughed, receiving looks of awe from the closest thing he had left to family.

'Harry, you realise what this means right?' Remus asked, rubbing the back of his head with a groan.

At Harry's blank look he continued.

'Harry, you can now beat the both of us at once. Sirius was an Auror, one of the best and I have the reflexes of a werewolf. At the very least you are now amongst the best duellists in Britain.' Remus explained, looking at the hand that rubbed his head, not seeing any blood he sighed.

'We think you might need to get Flitwick to assist you sooner rather than later.' Sirius added and Harry coughed again.

'Sure guys. That sounds great, but any chance you can convince Dumbledore to let me skiv off classes until this is all over? I think that delaying my classes is better than not being ready for all of this to hit the fan.' Harry gestured around the room with a weak wave of his hand.

'I'll talk to him; I think he was already considering doing that pup.' Sirius said.

Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and squeezed him close.

'Now pup, time to get some sleep. We'll see you in the morning.' Sirius grinned, shooing him from the room.

On his way back to his dorms and his bed, Harry couldn't keep his mind away from what was happening in the world. What was the connection between all the strange things they had seen in the Daily Prophet.

As he fell into bed, Harry's last thought was of his silver haired friend.


	14. Chapter 14 - Merlin

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any HPverse stuff, not even the Merlin stuff!

**Chapter 14: Merlin.**

Harry found himself in his mindscape, where Voldemort's Horcrux once was. The cave surrounded by fissures held an uncomfortable feeling to Harry, but he knew what they needed to do.

'Are we sure Godric?' Harry asked, looking down at the weapons encased in glass as they stood in the centre of the cave opening.

'Yes, young one. I believe I know what is happening with these items now. I feel it is the only choice we have if we want to survive the upcoming war. My power alone is not enough to turn the tide.' Godric said, his deep voice sounding distant to Harry as he strode down to the weapons.

The weapons stood nearby each other, little more than a metre away. Harry reached out a hand to the staff, it stood closer to him and as his hand touched the glass, it shattered.

The glass fell to the ground with a tinkle around his outstretched hand, leaving him unmarked.

His hand wrapped around the staff and searing pain tore through him.

He fell to one knee as the pain flowed through his body like his blood had turned to fire. It crashed against him like waves against a rock and it stabbed at him like a million knives. The pain was all-consuming before darkness overtook him.

* * *

_He sat in his chair by the fireplace. Staring at the flames had always brought calm to his otherwise wild thoughts._

_Thunder crashed outside his cave, the storm raged on as he stared at the orange and red flames, listening to the gentle pop and crack of wood as it burned._

_Then he felt he was no longer alone; another being had come into his sanctuary. He sighed as his peace shattered._

'_Yes? How can I help you Morgana?' he said, his voice dry and rasping as though he hadn't spoken in months._

_A woman, regal and haughty strode into the room, her violet eyes and black hair shining in the firelight. She removed her heavy travelling cloak and took a seat in the chair near the man, close to the fire. _

'_Merlin, I need your aid.' She asked, letting out a sigh as the flames drew her gaze._

_The two were silent for many minutes as they stared at the flames. _

_Then Merlin sighed._

'_Why is it you need my aid?' _

'_Guinevere has my brother in her clutches, and her goals are not pure. Her love for him is false.' Morgana snarled the last part, a deep frown on her face._

'_And what is it you think I can do about any of that?'_

_Morgana tore her gaze from the flames and stared at him._

'_You are my brothers' advisor. He is blinded by her, he will not listen to me anymore, not like he once did. But he will listen to you.' She pleaded and Merlin sighed._

'_I cannot do as you ask. The Elves have a purpose for Guinevere, I will not stand in their way.' _

_Morgana stared at Merlin in disbelief._

'_The Elves? What business do they have with my brother?'_

'_I fear I do not have the answers to your questions Morgana.' Merlin whispered, his gaze on the flames once more._

_The two fell into silence once more, watching the flames as the storm raged outside._

'_Merlin, I-' _

_Merlin turned to meet her gaze; a grey eyebrow raised._

'_I wish to learn from you. If you cannot help my brother in this, then I wish to learn all you know so I can protect my brother when the time comes.' Morgana declared and Merlin sighed._

'_Do you know, truly, of what you ask? That you will become my apprentice and learn all that I can teach you?'_

_She nodded._

'_So be it. We will begin in the morning.'_

Everything went black, replaced by a forest, where two beings standing tall and fair held a struggling Morgana in their grasp.

'_Merlin, help me!' Morgana called, her lustrous black hair a mess and violet eyes wide in fear._

_Merlin stood to the side, on his left stood a great, heavy set castle, Camelot. On its ramparts stood King Arthur, and by his side Queen Guinevere. _

_Merlin sighed before turning to face Morgana._

'_I am sorry my love. While you may not trust the Queen with your brothers' heart, it is his to give to whom he chooses.' He closed his eyes to sigh again. _

_When he opened his eyes once more, he saw the pain in her violet gaze._

'_I told you the Elves have a plan for Guinevere. That it was not our place to meddle with them. Morgana, they taught me all I know of magic, and there is far more left that I simply couldn't learn. They are the eminent magic users of the world; mere humans do not cross them.' He sighed._

_Morgana's eyes watered as they darted between Arthur on the battlements and Merlin. _

'_Merlin, please. Protect my brother, he is not safe while he is in her clutches. Please promise me that.' Morgana cried as the Elves restraining her carried her away, despite her struggles._

_Merlin bowed his head as one Elf met his gaze, its blue almond-shaped eyes narrowed as a frown marred its unnaturally perfect features._

_T__hen they were gone, and Merlin stood at the edge of the forest, leaning on his staff._

'_I will protect your brother as best I can.'_

* * *

Harry woke, blinking his eyes. He could feel a staff in his hand, _Merlin's staff._

Pain throbbed through him and he saw Godric's face appear in his vision, leaning over him.

'Young one, are you okay?'

With a groan, Harry sat up, holding his head with one hand. He held the staff in his lap and admired it, and even though it looked like any other stick from a distance, up close it had runes and spidery script engraved across it, almost like someone had written a novel on every surface of the staff.

'Who might you gentlemen be? And why do you hold my staff?' came a voice from behind Godric and Harry.

Harry spun, cringing as he moved, his body protesting. He saw Godric turn and watch the newcomer with a wary eye.

Harry knew who the newcomer was.

'Merlin.' Harry breathed and Godric stared at Harry in shock.

'Are you sure young one?'

The old man laughed, his gaze moving between Godric and Harry, then down to his staff.

'Yes, I am Merlin Emrys. Though I do not know how I came to be here.'

'So, you must be like Godric then? Wait, I'm not your heir as well, am I?' Harry asked with wide eyes.

Both Merlin and Godric sent him incredulous looks.

'No, I don't believe you are my heir, I never had children. What do you mean, like Godric?' Merlin asked and Godric stepped forward.

'There has been a disturbance, it caused the gates to the underworld to weaken. An enemy from my time has escaped Tartarus and I came to stop him, though I could not fully leave Elysium and so am inhabiting my heirs' body for the time being, preparing him to fight the war that I cannot.' Godric explained and Merlin narrowed his eyes at the two.

'I admit, that is also the case with myself. An enemy from my time has escaped Tartarus and I came to prevent that, but my memories are, lacking. I assume this is your mindscape young man?' Merlin asked as Harry nodded in shock.

He was talking to _Merlin._

The old man gave Harry an odd frown before turning back to Godric.

'Why is the boy wearing such a strange expression?'

Godric chuckled.

'Oh, times have changed. Almost fifteen hundred years have passed since your time, a thousand since my time. Now? The Wizarding World sees you as some sort of god.' Godric grinned, just as Harry pulled himself free from his stupor, pushing himself free of the ground with Merlin's staff.

Harry glanced at the staff before offering it back to Merlin, who accepted it with a soft smile.

'I'm sorry, my name is Harry Potter, it is an honour to meet you sir.'

Harry stepped away from Merlin and ran a hand through his hair.

'This all started when I was involuntarily present for the rebirth of a dark wizard who had used Horcrux's, extending his life. But something happened during the ritual and this has allowed dark spirits in the form of wraiths to walk the earth while Inferi do the same.' Harry started, holding Merlin's narrowed gaze.

'Godric and I feel that a powerful spirit from Godric's lifetime is among those wraiths, trying to find a new body. Perhaps, your foe could be among those wraiths as well.' Harry finished, letting out a breath.

Merlin cocked his head and gave Harry a curious stare.

'You have a physical body yes? While myself and, Godric was it, do not?' Merlin asked, his gaze seeming to bore into Harry's mind, though he knew it wasn't legilimency, it was just a piercing stare.

Harry nodded and Merlin sighed.

'I am unwilling to tear the fabric of the underworld further by creating a body for myself. Would you consent to having another presence in your mind and learn all I can teach you; would you fight this battle for me?' Merlin asked and Harry gave a solemn nod.

'Of course, I am doing as such for Godric and have two powerful foes to face, why not add another?' Harry joked.

Merlin chuckled, a note of bitterness in his tone.

'Such time has passed, that the young are this eager to fight the old's battles.'

Harry and Godric shared a glance and a smirk before Merlin straightened himself.

'Okay, so I know where I must begin with your training, I need to see where you are at. Godric, if you would assist?' Merlin asked with an expectant smile.

Harry grinned and turned to Godric who drew both his wands. His grin fell within seconds as Godric begun.

* * *

Harry lay battered and beaten on the ground as he watched Godric fighting Merlin, their power eclipsing his own.

Godric fired massive blasts of red and gold toward the ancient wizard that crashed against Merlin's light blue shield that held against the Battle Magic crashing against it.

Harry was in awe of the two legendary figures, Godric using both wands to fire spells that when Merlin dodged them continued to blow chunks out of the nearby mountains.

Merlin waved his staff and great bolts of lightning burst through the space between the two splashing against a crimson Battle Magic shield.

The earth shook beneath their conflict, even the ground beneath Merlin crumbled and turned to dust around the light blue shield, leaving the long-bearded wizard standing on the sole piece of solid rock amid a lake of dust.

Merlin raised a hand, signalling for Godric to stop his assault. He did, returning his wands to his holsters.

'Harry, can you change your mindscape to an open field surrounded on all sides by mountains, perhaps a forest as well?' Merlin asked and Harry nodded, struggling to believe what he had seen.

Within moments they stood on an open idyllic field, a gentle wind blowing the long swaying grass in the distance. The field was in a crater, surrounded by snow-peaked mountains, a dark green forest to what Harry deemed the south of them.

Harry smiled at the scene and struggled to push himself to his knees, his wounds still stinging.

A moment later, Godric was back to firing Battle Magic at Merlin who with one hand, held the light blue shield.

'Wandless magic holding up against Battle Magic?' Harry gaped.

Then Merlin held up his staff, high in the air.

The earth trembled.

Harry felt the ground shake, then a deep rumble went through the ground and Harry watched in horrified awe as the mountains behind Merlin rumbled.

Harry rubbed his eyes, sure that he was seeing things. But upon further inspection, the mountain rose, tearing free of the earth and floating in the air.

The mountain shattered as Merlin's staff glowed a brilliant blue. The pieces of the mountain hung suspended in the air and Harry watched as a single piece shot away from the others.

As the single piece came closer Harry saw what looked like little more than a speck before became the size of a house as it drew closer.

Harry saw Godric's eyes widen and he used one wand to create the crimson Battle Magic shield. His other wand fired a bolt of red light that crashed into the house sized piece of the mountain, exploding and turning it to dust that covered everything except the two shielded wizards.

Including Harry.

He coughed as he shook the dust out of his hair and eyes, then picked up a handful of the dust in awe, imagining that the dust had moments ago been a mountain.

A deafening crack echoed around him and Harry's gaze went back to the two legendary wizards, watching as Godric continued firing great blasts of magic at Merlin's shield. The crack was the mountain behind Merlin breaking into smaller pieces. Then the mountain pieces moved, Merlin's staff shone a bright blue, brighter than before, almost blinding.

Another house sized piece of mountain exploded from one of Godric's spells. But for every projectile destroyed, one reached Godric and exploded against his shield. With every strike, Godric was forced back, the sheer force of the rocks thrown at him pushing him back, even through the shield.

Harry watched for a few minutes before the bombardment stopped, the dust clearing as he found himself half submerged in dust made from the shattered mountain. Godric and Merlin stood strong, protected by their shields amid the ocean of dust.

Harry climbed out of the sand, his eyes tracking around them, as the dust finally settled. They stood in a desert, what was once an idyllic grassland was covered in a layer of sand and dust a metre thick and the mountains behind Merlin no longer existed.

Looking at Godric, the man was panting and covered in sweat, while he was untouched it was clear that he was tired. Then Harry glanced at Merlin who stood with a small smile on his wizened face.

Merlin held up his staff again and it shone a bright blue. Harry saw the mountains all around them shake, heard the earth tremble in anticipation.

Godric noticed it too and held his hands up in surrender, sheathing his wands.

Merlin let out a breath and the mountains in the distance settled.

'You can do Grand Sorcery.' Godric breathed.

'I thought it was a myth.' He continued; his eyes wide.

Merlin smiled at Godric, then he turned to face Harry.

'Yes, to my knowledge, I am the only human to have ever learnt it. The Elves, who are unfortunately no more, mastered it.' Merlin explained as Harry stared at the old man who had moments ago tossed a mountain at Godric.

'Would you like to learn Harry?'


	15. Chapter 15 - A New Teacher

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing and claim nothing.

**Chapter 15: A New Teacher.**

The next morning Harry stood in Professor Flitwick's office. It was a Saturday and breakfast had just finished; the students of the school all having left to do whatever they needed to.

Harry stood, surrounded by an eclectic collection of charms tomes and duelling paraphernalia from Flitwick's days on the duelling circuit.

'So, Mister Potter, what is that I can do for you this morning?' squeaked the charms Professor, an open smile on his face. Harry returned the smile, his hands crossed in front of him while meeting the little man's curious gaze.

'I came to ask you to teach me how to duel.' Harry said, his mind replaying the battle he had seen the night before, of Godric against Merlin. He knew he had much to learn, and it would be best to do so from multiple masters.

'Why do you want to learn how to duel Mister Potter? Why ask me?' Flitwick asked and Harry could understand the little man's concerns. While Harry had always been decent in class, he had never stood out as anything more than average.

'After the events of the third task, I need to prepare. While fighting for one's life differs from duelling, it is a skill that would be useful to have.' Harry replied, a half smile on his face.

'Agreed. Well Mister Potter, I think we will begin next weekend if that is acceptable. Shall we start at the beginning?' the tiny Professor asked, a kind smile on his face.

'Well Professor, I can now defeat Sirius and Remus at the same time. So, would it possible to have them along for the training sessions as well?' Harry said, his grin growing at the look of shock on Flitwick's face and the small squeak that escaped him at the revelation.

'Well Mister Potter, if you can defeat two of the best Defence Professors this school has seen in years, we may skip forward a few steps.' Flitwick's face was bright with excitement at the idea.

* * *

Harry found himself in the ritual room inside the Hall of the Brave conducting further rituals and planning more into the afternoon. He stood, wearing only pants as he considered his newest ritual.

Most rituals provided passive effects; he had been conducting these for the most part. But his newest ritual had active effects besides the passive. This was the first of a set of rituals that would increase his speed with both his mind and body, if done correctly the set would provide a significant advantage during combat.

He looked down at the ritual circle beneath him with narrowed eyes, he was missing something, but he didn't know what it was.

'_Harry, this ritual requires something more than animal parts and some of your blood.'_ Merlin's voice floated through his mind and Harry stared at the circle, filled with runes and the animal parts, he even had Manticore claws in this ritual.

They were getting expensive.

'What else does it need? I have everything else you said I needed?' Harry continued glaring at the circle.

'_Active rituals require a mental connection. Before you step into the circle, hold a memory in the forefront of your mind. You also need a physical representation of that memory in your hands.'_ Godric replied and Harry sighed.

'What kind of memory?'

'_The stronger the better.'_

Harry groaned as he considered his choices, but he saw his glasses laying discarded in the corner of the room, where he had tossed them after a previous ritual had given him perfect eyesight.

He strode to the corner of the room and picked them up then entered the ritual circle, his glasses held in his hand. Memories of his first trip on the Hogwarts Express at the front of his mind, when he had met Ron and Hermione, when she had repaired his glasses with the first spell he had seen someone his age cast.

* * *

Duelling filled Harry's evening with Sirius and Remus in the Room of Requirement. He beat them every time, but it was hard. They were using stronger and more powerful magic, neither of them pulling their punches as they tried to push him further.

By the end of the night it was clear that they simply couldn't keep up with Harry anymore, because of his rituals and intensive training from all of his trainers, Harry was just too fast and his magical power too strong for Sirius and Remus to keep up.

They knew about the rituals he had been doing, but both had begged off from joining Harry in conducting them. They were both raised to be distrustful of rituals, even Sirius with his Black upbringing.

'Okay pup, I think we will need to change this up. We can't help you much further in duelling. Hell, we're zero for ten tonight.' Sirius said, clapping Harry on the shoulder with a wide grin. Remus joined them, clapping a hand on Harry's other shoulder.

'I've got a few ideas about how we will help you from here but let me sleep on them okay?' the werewolf asked.

'Sure Moony, not a problem. Thanks, you two for helping me so much with this whole mess. I appreciate it.' Harry gave a half smile before a yawn escaped him.

'Okay pup, time for bed. We'll see you in the morning.' Sirius said as Harry nodded and left the Room of Requirement, deciding to head to the Hall of the Brave rather than the common room, he was more tired than he thought after everything he had done that day.

* * *

Harry lay on his front, Merlin standing off to the side while Godric stood over him, a wand in each hand. They were in an open field, on one hill that overlooked the Hogwarts of Godric's time. It was one of his favourites.

'Harry, I think we need to get you another wand, you have the power and I think the focus to make it work.' Godric said, cocking his head at Harry who hadn't moved from his laying position, catching his breath.

Godric tossed one of his wands to Harry and as he reached out a hand to clasp the ash wand, he felt nothing, though he knew it would work for him.

He saw Merlin giving him that smile he often did when he knew something Harry didn't, which was to say almost all the time.

'What?' Harry asked, standing, now with a wand in each hand.

'Simply that I find it interesting that you thought you would feel a connection to that wand, considering it's not real, at least not this version of it.' Merlin replied, still wearing that small smile and Harry growled, feeling embarrassed.

'Yes, well. I suppose it's easy to forget sometimes that this is all in my mind and not as real as it feels.' Harry mumbled before Godric coughed nearby.

'Yes, enough about wand lore and what counts as a reality. We're talking about dual wielding wands.' Godric looked at Harry with a stern expression, not unlike Professor McGonagall. Harry gulped.

'Dual wielding wands is the epitome of wand magic, only a precious few can do it. Your Professor Dumbledore can, though his style of duelling makes dual wielding difficult.' Godric started, pausing at Harry's confused expression.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked, his head cocked to the side.

'Well, cutting out all the technical information that you aren't interested in. Transfiguration is difficult to dual wield because it takes a lot of focus to do and maintain. His focus is transfiguration, which likely means that dual wielding is not of much use to him.' Godric begun while Merlin nodded to his side.

'You however young one do not have time to dedicate yourself to becoming a master of transfiguration. Dual wielding lends itself well to the more direct forms of magical combat, hexes, curses and that sort of thing. But more than this, dual wielding is perfect for Battle Magic.' Godric explained and Harry's eyes went wide.

'So, I'll be ready for Battle Magic soon?' Harry asked, an eager grin on his face.

'Soon young one. But by the time you've mastered dual wielding I think you might be ready; we shall see.' Godric paused, his gaze slipping down to the Hogwarts of the past.

'Salazar and I both learned Battle Magic and dual wielding because they kind of go hand in hand. They are the two most powerful styles of magical combat, at least they were in my time.' Godric amended as he glanced toward Merlin who wore his irritating small smile.

Merlin stepped toward the two, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder.

'For the time being, we will split your time with us in half. Godric will teach you dual wielding while I will focus on more spells and wandless magic.'

Harry stared at Merlin, then he blinked.

'Wandless? You think I can learn that?'

Merlin laughed.

'Of course you can. Everyone can learn wandless magic. It isn't hard.' Merlin said then a look of dawning comprehension crossed his face.

'Oh, how the wizarding world has regressed in some areas.' The ancient wizard muttered.

'Harry, I need you to read, or at least look at, some history books covering my time until now. I need to figure out exactly what the wizarding world has carried on from my time.' Merlin demanded while Harry stared at him.

'Oh, I may have stumbled across a way for us to gain some advantages against your Dark Lord, depending on how much today's world has forgotten about the past.' Merlin explained, though it left Harry struggling to understand.

Harry shook the thoughts out of his head.

'Of course, I'll gather some history books over the next few days, give you some reading material.' Harry grinned before Godric broke in once more.

'Back to dual wielding.'

* * *

The next morning, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, Hermione across from him and Ron beside him. He was glad he couldn't see Ron as the boy was shovelling food into his mouth and the way Hermione's face twisted in disgust made Harry glad he could avert his eyes without issue.

He glanced around the hall and saw that about half of the Slytherin's wore the blank expressions he had been seeing more of over the last few days. Harry noticed Draco Malfoy staring at his food, not even glaring at Harry like he normally would do on a Sunday morning.

His people watching ended as Hermione pushed the Daily Prophet in front of his face.

_**Durmstrang has fallen.**_

_Dear readers, the Durmstrang Institute has fallen. _

_We have little information on the specifics, but what we know is that the Durmstrang Institute, one school involved with the Triwizard Tournament earlier this year has been attacked and overwhelmed. _

_An eyewitness report tells that it was an army of mindless wizards and muggles._

_There have been reports of towns in Bulgaria being abandoned, perhaps the inhabitants of these towns were taken against their will and forced to join this army? _

_We have only speculation on this matter._

_We have confirmed reports that the Durmstrang Triwizard Champion and international Quidditch Star Viktor Krum was killed in defence of the school, as were many others._

_However, most students and staff of the school could not be found, leaving this reporter to believe that the mindless army that attacked Durmstrang has recruited many of its students and staff into its army._

_What is the ministry doing about this tragedy? Why are they still saying that Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter are liars when we are having Death Eater attacks and one of the premier wizarding schools in Europe has fallen?_

_Brian Burbanks._

Harry reread the article and stared at the picture of a large squat castle in the mountains in flames.

He closed his eyes at the thought of Viktor. By the end of the Tournament he felt they were good friends. They had even agreed to work together in the coming war, then with a pang of loss, Harry realised that only he and Fleur remained of the Triwizard Champions.

'I'll see you guys later okay?' Harry said, getting up from the table and going to the Hall of the Brave. He sat at his writing desk and started a letter to Fleur.

_Dear Fleur,_

_I just read in the Prophet that Durmstrang has fallen, and Viktor is dead. I can't believe it. What is going on in the world? I have some ideas and I'll tell you next time I see you, sorry, but I just can't tell you in a letter._

_But I just want you to be safe. We are the only ones left after last year. First Cedric, now Viktor, I don't want to even imagine anything happening to you._

_In happier news my training has been going well, I can now defeat Sirius and Remus in a fight at the same time. _

_How have you been? Are your studies going well? I'm sure that you'll do well, you're far too clever to not do brilliantly._

_Sorry it's a short one, but I just felt that I needed to send this to you. I'm worried._

_Love,_

_Harry._

Harry took the letter to the Owlery to send, Hedwig was still returning from France after his last letter, so he chose a school owl and sent it away, a soft smile on his face before he turned to leave the Owlery.

* * *

Minutes later Harry stood in front of the Headmasters office, guessing the password.

'Cockroach clusters? Canary Cream? Lifesaver? Lemon Drop? Blood pop? Skittle?'

The gargoyle leapt out of the way and Harry shook his head at the stairs led him up to the door to Dumbledore's office. The door opened and Harry stood in front of the Headmasters desk while Dumbledore stared out of his window, overlooking the grounds.

'Harry my boy, how are you this morning?' the old man greeted, turning to look at Harry who sighed.

'I just heard about Durmstrang and Viktor. What can we do?' Harry asked and he saw a look of grief cross Dumbledore's face.

'Alas my boy, there is nothing we can do. The enemy has already left the Institute, leaving only corpses behind.' Dumbledore started, he removed his half-moon glasses and rubbed his eyes with his other hand.

'Whoever attacked Durmstrang can control large numbers of people, though how it is done, I do not know.' The Headmaster sighed.

'Imperius?' Harry asked, though knowing it was unlikely.

'No, the Imperius curse only works on one or maybe two people at a time and someone who is under the Imperius cannot place others under it. It's just not how the curse works.' The old man sighed, before turning to look outside once more.

'I will look into the issue Harry. But tell me this, what do you know of Grindelwald?' Dumbledore asked, his body looking tense as Harry blinked at the abrupt change in topic.

'Not as much as I should, only that you defeated the man at the end of World War Two and he was a Dark Lord, almost as bad as Voldemort.' Harry answered, unsure where this was going.

Albus Dumbledore sighed, running a hand down his face before stroking his beard, behaviours Harry hadn't seen the Headmaster indulge in, ever.

'You are half right my boy. Grindelwald wasn't quite as powerful as Voldemort, in brute strength. However, he was far more clever and insidious. He brought all of Europe to its knees through manipulation and his charisma.' He said, Harry couldn't see his face, but he noted the catch in the old man's voice, this was something close to his heart.

'People honestly believed in his ideals.' Dumbledore all but whispered.

Harry narrowed his eyes, opened his mouth to speak but stopped as he heard a voice in his head.

'_Silence Harry, he needs to get through this. I don't know what happened, but can't you see how deep a wound this is to your Headmaster?'_ it was Merlin.

Harry nodded and remained silent, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

'Once, Gellert and I were friends. We shared beliefs, we shared everything. But we had a falling out and then eventually became enemies. I fought and defeated him, imprisoning him inside his own prison in his mountain fortress of Nurmengard.' Dumbledore said, his shoulders sagging.

Dumbledore turned away from the view to look at Harry and Harry saw the tear streaks down the old mans face.

'Gellert has escaped his prison, weeks ago and has been moving around Europe, searching for something.'

'How can I help sir?' Harry asked.

'You can't, not yet. Gellert is my problem to deal with, you have enough of your own. We agreed to no secrets, and I am trying to hold up my side of the deal.'

Harry nodded.

'Well sir, in the name of that same understanding. I have another companion, Merlin himself. As well as a name of another potential wraith, Morgan Le Fey.'


	16. Chapter 16 - Merlin's History Part 2

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 16: Merlin's History Pt 2.**

Harry stood in a forest in his mindscape, Merlin standing nearby. The ancient wizard had his back to a large tree, his hands idly whittling a stick with a thin knife.

'So, Merlin. What are we doing? More wandless magic?' Harry asked after having waited for the ancient wizard to speak for minutes. He watched the old man carving away at the stick, it was taking shape, Harry thought it would eventually resemble a person.

'No Harry, no wandless magic. I have something to show you, my past. You need to understand, you need context. Learning how to fight will not solve all your problems, though these memories are painful. So please, forgive an old man for procrastinating.' Merlin murmured, his eyes never leaving the piece of wood in his hand.

Harry nodded and leant back against a nearby tree.

'Morgana, was taken away by the Elves after she tried to remove Guinevere from Arthur's side.' Merlin begun, his voice hollow, lacking any of the amusement or warmth it normally carried.

'The Elves kept her captive for years, I later discovered that some of the Elves were discussing their plans near her, their plans for Camelot. She escaped her prison, using the abilities she had learned from me over the years of her apprenticeship.' The knife cutting at the wood stilled for a moment before it continued in long even strokes.

'It was uncommon, but it happened in those days. Where a master and an apprentice fell in love. The relationship was always close, but sometimes it went further. Just as in our case. But it blinded me to her failings, I saw that later.' Merlin took a deep breath before continuing.

'After she escaped her prison, she returned to her brother. Only to find he had left Camelot. I remember her, just as if it were yesterday that I saw her last.'

* * *

_Merlin sat in a chair, his gaze never leaving the fireplace. He was in his study inside Camelot, there were countless magical instruments filling the room, every surface bore some shining trinket that he was in the middle of studying. _

_The room was a few metres square, simple and with few luxuries apart from the objects of his study. _

_The room held a large oak table in the centre, overburdened by objects of his study. Every wall was lined with bookshelves, filled with tomes too sensitive to be kept in the greater library of Camelot. Merlin wrote many of these tomes himself, while the Elves wrote a few others, those who taught him magic._

_There were two overstuffed wing chairs facing the fireplace, Merlin occupied one of which. Behind his chair sat a writing desk, with loose sheets of parchment littering it, each sheet showing partial designs for various magical constructs and spells. Arthur often joined him in his study to discuss anything from matters of state to updating the décor._

_The door to the room opened and a woman entered the room, her long black hair dishevelled, covering her face except for the violet eyes that peered out from behind the curtain of knotted and tangled hair. She wore little more than rags that left little to the imagination regarding the woman's once full figure hidden beneath. _

_The woman's skin clung to her bones, covered in scar tissue from wounds long since forgotten in favour of new ones._

_Merlin's gaze never left the flames as she moved on silent feet and sat in the chair opposite his, her gaze falling on the fire. Together the two sat for long minutes, the tension in the room almost tangible._

'_Why?' she croaked, her voice weak from disuse._

'_Why did you leave me with those monsters?' she continued, Merlin heard the pain in her rasping voice, the betrayal._

'_Morgana, my love. I had no choice, would you have had me pit my meagre might against them? To be cut down by their wrath, unable to do anything to protect your brother?' Merlin said, his gaze locked on the dancing flames as he sighed._

'_I have advised your brother for many long years. I have done what I can to steer him from the path the Elves set him on. But I cannot cross them, if I do, they will not hesitate to kill me. I have stopped dozens of plots against your brother and were I not here, the Elves will have already had their way in Camelot.' Merlin murmured; his voice low._

'_But I failed, your brother has left the relative safety of Camelot. What the ultimate plan of the Elves is, I do not know. But they have drawn him away from the castle, much has happened since they took you.' Merlin explained, closing his eyes with a sigh._

'_Where is my brother?' Morgana demanded, her voice scratchy and dry._

'_I do not know. Guinevere has left Camelot; she is with Mordred now. I do not know what they are planning, but your brother has left to confront them, against my advice.' Merlin opened his eyes, meeting Morgana's violet gaze._

'_Why? Why did you not go with him?' she whispered._

'_Because you were coming, I saw it in a dream.'_

_Morgana's eyes flashed with rage._

'_You have the gift of foresight. Why have you not used it against the Elves?' her voice was steady, cold as ice as her gaze never left Merlin's._

'_The gift of foresight is more akin to a curse Morgana, I have told you this before. You can see glimpses of the future, but you cannot change it. I have seen the future, and it does not contain the Elves. They are doomed, but I do not know from where this doom comes.' Merlin sighed, running a hand down his face._

_A rush of images flashed through Merlin's mind and with a groan his hands cradled his head as the agony of foresight burned through his mind. _

_The pain tore through him for what seemed like days before it subsided, leaving him weak as he sunk back into his chair with a pained groan._

_Across from him, Morgana's violet gaze never left him._

'_What did you see?' she asked, wonder in her voice._

_Merlin groaned again as he turned his head to stare into the flames._

'_Camlann. You need to go to Camlann. Your brother is there, as is Mordred. I saw rivers of blood.' Merlin whispered, he barely noticed as she leapt from her chair and left the room. _

_He was so very tired._

* * *

Harry blinked.

Viewing memories never seemed to get any easier, it was always disorienting when they finished.

Looking around himself, he saw Merlin still carving away at the stick and saw that the piece of wood now resembled a woman, though he was surprised that the woman didn't look like Morgana. This woman he was carving was slim, lithe rather than possessing the womanly curves that Morgana had held.

'What happened after that?' Harry asked, resolving to ask about the woman at a later stage.

Merlin continued with his carving for a few minutes before sighing.

'She went to Camlann, the battle she found there had long since ended. There were few survivors. Arthur, her brother, was one of them. But he was too far into the grip of death by the time she arrived.' Merlin explained, his voice a mere whisper.

'She carried him to Avalon where he died, and she buried him.' Merlin sighed, tucking the carving and knife into his robes and pushed off from his tree.

'Harry, I didn't see Morgana for years after that. But that is a story for a later day.' Merlin said, a soft smile on his face that Harry didn't buy for a moment.

'But for now, we will work on your wandless magic, and perhaps work on designing a staff for when we teach you Grand Sorcery.'

Harry grinned at the thought of tossing mountains around.


	17. Chapter 17 - The Sword in the Stone

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 17: The Sword in the Stone.**

The next morning at breakfast, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione, discussing class.

'Mate, you're doing too much. Even though you've dropped Quidditch, which I still think you should keep doing. You should drop those extra classes you're doing.' Ron exclaimed; his eyes wide.

'Ron, honestly. Harry is trying to do what is best for his future. I for one think what he is doing is commendable. But…' she trailed off, a nervous expression on her face as she turned to face Harry.

'Harry, I hate to admit it, but I do think Ron is right. You are doing too much.' She said, her eyes downcast.

Harry smiled at his friends, resting a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

'What would you recommend I drop then? My training with Sirius and Remus? My classes?' he asked and saw her flush.

'I-I don't know. I'm sorry, I know you've got a lot of pressure with everything that's going on.' She muttered and Harry grinned.

'Don't worry about it Hermione, I'll be fine. I just need you guys to keep working on your Occlumency, besides it'll help with classes.' Harry smiled then looked up as he saw Professor McGonagall approach.

'Mister Potter, the Headmaster requests your presence after breakfast. Never mind your classes, he said that you'd understand when you saw him.' She said, her stern face not giving any sign of her thoughts.

'Of course, Professor, thank you.' Harry nodded before standing and looking at his friends.

'I'll see you guys later.'

Harry made his way to the Headmasters office and ten minutes later he smiled at the gargoyle leapt out of his way before he had even tried to guess the password. Soon enough he stood before the Headmaster who sat at his desk with bags under his eyes.

'Headmaster? Are you okay?' Harry asked, rarely having seen the Headmaster looking so _old_.

'Yes, my boy. Simply a lack of sleep I'm afraid. I just wanted to let you know that you are no longer required to attend classes, your studies are being deferred until next year owing to needing to train you for the current crisis.' The Headmaster waved his hand, gesturing Harry to take a seat.

'I hear that you have enlisted Filius in your training, does he know any of the sensitive information regarding your situation?' Dumbledore asked, steepling his hands in front of his face. Harry shook his head.

'No sir, I think I will tell him at our first training session. I feel it will help motivate him to push me if he knows as much as we can tell him, assuming he is skilled in Occlumency of course.' Harry shrugged and watched the old Headmaster for a moment.

'Any word on Grindelwald?' Harry asked and he saw a flash of sadness on the older man's face.

'No, he is searching for something, but for what? I do not know.'

* * *

Without the need to attend classes, Harry spent most of his time training with Sirius and Remus. Sirius often had to teach, which left Harry and Remus to work on various styles of combat. Harry was growing proficient in muggle hand to hand combat, skills that Remus picked up in his travels in the muggle world.

The next week passed by Harry as he focussed on his training until it was Saturday again, and he was ready for his training with Professor Flitwick to begin.

Harry stood in the Room of Requirement set in a training room pattern. The same pattern he had been using with Sirius and Remus since they had found the room.

The dull grey stone floors, walls and ceiling gave the training room a grim, spartan feeling.

Harry waited with his eyes closed, trying to focus his magical senses on his surroundings.

The colours of the room had left his brain hurting the first few times he had been trying to use the technique within Hogwarts due to the over saturation of magic in the air. But he had been working on it in his spare moments and could now have his magic sense active for longer than a few seconds.

It still however was akin to staring at the sun with your naked eyes.

The door opened and Harry managed a quick glance to notice Sirius and Remus's magical signatures, he had grown accustomed to them over the last couple of months of training.

But he didn't recognise the signature with them. With a mental shrug he turned off the magic sense and his vision returned to normal to see Professor Flitwick standing with the remaining marauders.

'Professor Flitwick, welcome to our training room.' Harry smiled at the man who was almost bouncing in anticipation.

'Before we begin, how is your Occlumency sir?' Harry asked, only to narrow his eyes at the marauders who wore matching grins.

Flitwick squeaked in excitement.

'Mister Potter, these two have told me all about the training you three have been doing and the connection between the wraiths and the Inferi. They did however refuse to tell me quite how you fit into all this. But in answer to your question, I am skilled in Occlumency. I assume Remus here taught you?' Flitwick asked, his voice high and fast.

Harry grinned, wishing for a chair for each of them, the room provided them each with high backed comfortable chairs in a square.

'I have quite a story to tell you, I'm afraid that a chair is necessary for this step. Also, Dobby.' Harry called and the excitable house-elf popped beside him.

'Yes, Great Master Harry Potter sir? How can Dobby helps you?' Dobby gushed and Harry favoured him with a small grin.

'Can you get something strong for these three to drink?' Harry asked and Dobby popped away with a crack, appearing moments later with a tray filled with various shots of alcohol.

'It all begun in the third task, the Triwizard Cup was a Portkey, but it took Cedric and I somewhere we had never expected…' Harry began the tale, with Professor Flitwick leaning forward, listening with a focus he had rarely seen in the small man.

* * *

After explaining everything to Professor Flitwick, the diminutive Professor suggested they duel and the first time, Harry was unconscious before he realised what was going on.

Harry woke with Flitwick peering at him from above as he lay on the floor.

'What happened?' Harry asked, Flitwick grinned.

'Nothing Mister Potter, we simply had our first round. I'm afraid I may have cheated a little.'

Harry frowned, still trying to catch up with what was happening.

'Let's try again shall we?' Flitwick asked and Harry agreed, standing and drawing his wand.

Harry leapt backward as a chain of spells sped toward him, though he noticed most of them were off centre from him. Then it hit him, the little Professor was aiming most of his spells where Harry _would_ be, not where he was.

Harry slapped a few of the spells away and dodged the others, trying to figure out the best way to defeat the small man. He continued deflecting and dodging the spells heading his way at high speed, Sirius had mentioned chaining spells, but it wasn't something he could do especially well.

Every third spell was present because of the wand motion for it linking up parts of the spell chain, regardless of its simple effect. He noticed a few Jelly Legs jinxes and some tickling charms as linking spells. It surprised Harry he had even noticed it while he should have been trying to fight.

Harry went on the attack, firing overpowered schoolyard jinxes interspersed with stunning, binding and other, more dangerous spells, though none with nasty or permanent effects. These spells were either dodged by the small man or a tiny shield sprung in front of the spell for an instant before Flitwick went back to his spell chains.

Harry growled as a Jelly Legs jinx got through his defence and he dropped to the ground, throwing up the crimson Battle Magic shield. With his spare hand he wandlessly tried to counter the Jelly Legs jinx, but he wasn't proficient enough with wandless magic for it to work.

The problem, Harry found with the Battle Magic shield, is that it is solid.

You cannot see through it, so Harry didn't see the dozen landmine curses.

Spells kept crashing into the Battle Magic shield, echoing through the room as Harry lifted the jinx on his legs.

He stood, releasing the shield and tossing a handful of powerful hexes and curses toward Flitwick who stepped backward, retreating under the weight of Harry's spell fire.

Harry took the opportunity and followed the professor, ready to press his advantage before stepping on a landmine curse.

He swore and his eye darted from the translucent yellow curse on the ground at his feet and back to the Professor before he clenched his jaw and glared at the little man.

Harry tossed out a handful of smokescreens before creating a small Battle Magic shield between himself and the landmine curse the instant he took his foot from it.

The landmine curse exploded sending Harry careening across the room. Landing in a pile of pained limbs and scratches, but still conscious. He dragged himself to his feet, then limped toward where the tiny Professor stood without a scratch in the centre of the room, the smokescreens disabled.

'So, Mister Potter. You show remarkable skill and you have far more power than I do. Why didn't you win?' Flitwick asked with a small smile.

Harry sighed, rubbing sweat out of his eyes.

'Your spell chains, you were firing far faster than myself. Not only that but your aim was toward where I _would_ be rather than where I was. You were predicting my movements and the flow of the battle in general.' Harry said, his foot ached, his shield hadn't been fully formed and thus hadn't fully protected him from the landmine curse.

'Yes, but there were other reasons.'

Harry narrowed his eyes as he ran through the fight in his mind.

'You were more efficient. Your shields were only big and strong enough to defend against what was needed. You didn't waste magic by holding a shield that would break after a few spells.' Harry replied, still running the fight through his mind, analysing it.

He could feel a sense of pride coming from Godric and he assumed it was because he was thinking things through. The founder had spent a lot of time in his mindscape teaching him how to think critically. He also felt a surge of approval from Merlin, though he wasn't unsure what the ancient wizard approved of.

'Yes, but I also aimed at specific parts of you, making the spells that got through particularly effective. That Jelly Legs jinx for example. If that had hit your middle, your wandless magic would have removed it with ease. But as it hit your legs, its effect was increased.' Flitwick lectured and Harry noticed Sirius and Remus off to the side taking notes, which caused a grin to cross Harry face.

Flitwick paced in front of Harry for a few moments.

'Mister Potter, I am what is known as a technical dueller. I have focussed on my duelling skills in such as way as to make the maximum use of my magical core which is far smaller than your own. I cannot achieve the flashy spells the Headmaster can for example, I simply do not have enough power to do so.' Flitwick continued with a small grin.

'But even with the sheer power difference between the Headmaster and myself, the last time we duelled, I defeated him about three time out of ten. Which I believe with no modesty is unheard of.' Flitwick said and Harry gaped at the small man, out of the corner of his eye he noticed Sirius and Remus doing the same.

'Really sir? You defeated Dumbledore in a duel? How?' Harry asked and Flitwick laughed.

'Mister Potter, I'll tell you when you can defeat me. How does that sound?' Flitwick offered and Harry nodded.

'Mister Potter, I can see your talent in duelling. I don't know why I didn't see your potential until now, but now that I can, I will ensure you will defeat me soon. I know the stakes and I will spend every available minute with you in this goal.'

Harry nodded.

'Now before we finish, Mister Potter. To be frank, you have a ridiculous amount of power inside you. My shields only barely held, with all my power behind them. But that power will not help you if you cannot hit your opponent. We need to increase your technical skills to match your power.' Flitwick turned to Sirius and Remus.

'The two of you need to work on his aim, dodging and efficiency. Most of all, work on spell chains and make sure every action you perform in a duel is geared toward winning that duel. I don't want to see any sloppy wand work or wasted energy in shields or dodging.' Flitwick ordered and Sirius and Remus both nodded.

Flitwick turned toward Harry and gave a soft smile.

'Ready to go again?'

* * *

Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione at one of the study tables, they were the only ones still in the room. All the others had gone to bed after curfew and the room was lit only by the fireplace.

'Harry, are you sure that deferring your studies for the year is the right thing to do? What will you do for the rest of the year?' Hermione asked, wringing her hands.

Harry sighed.

'Hermione, I'll be able to tell you guys everything after you two learn Occlumency. But for the time being, all I can tell you is that I'm training constantly with Sirius and Remus. I've even started training with Professor Flitwick.' Harry said, moving a hand to his shoulder, rubbing it absently. His last duel with the tiny Professor ended with Harry thrown into the wall, receiving some nasty bruises.

Ron stared at him.

'Mate, are you getting an apprenticeship with Flitwick then? Is that why you're not doing classes?'

'What do you mean Ron? I didn't think apprenticeships were a thing in the wizarding world?' Harry asked, Ron shrugged.

'They're pretty rare I suppose. But it would explain you getting special training from him.' Ron said with another shrug.

Harry sighed.

'No guys, no apprenticeship. It seems that Dumbledore believes that I need to fight Voldemort, so for me to survive that fight I need to train. School can wait, who knows, maybe the stuff I learn in training will help my school work?' Harry asked, hoping that his friends would drop it. He didn't want to shut them out of everything, but he knew Hermione was too curious.

'Anyway guys, it's time for bed. I'm sure we all have lots to do tomorrow.' Harry said, standing with a half-smile before moving upstairs, leaving Ron and Hermione alone in the common room.

* * *

The moment Harry fell asleep, he found himself in the cave of his mindscape, where Voldemort's horcrux had been.

Godric and Merlin stood at the edge of the cave and smiled as they saw him.

'We have been waiting young one.' Godric said with a smile.

'We have one last weapon for you to unlock Harry.' Merlin said with a nod down toward the sword encased in glass in the centre of the cave.

'Do either of you know what will happen? Are we sure it will be a, well, good spirit?' Harry asked as he took a step toward the sword.

'Yes Harry, I am familiar with that sword. You will not be disappointed.' Merlin smiled.

With a nod, Harry made his way to the sword, seeing that it was embedded in the ground. He reached out to the hilt of the sword and as his hands passed through the glass, it shattered, falling to the ground with a soft tinkling sound.

Harry remembered what happened the last time, he remembered the pain and the memories. He steeled himself against them and grasped the hilt of the sword.

Searing pain shot through his body as he touched the sword, but he gritted his teeth and pulled on the sword, feeling it shift beneath his fingers. The agony burned through him, just like when he had awakened Merlin, the pain was making his vision grow dark. But a part of his mind knew that he had to draw the sword, and his body was close to failing him, judging by his darkening vision.

With a roar fuelled by exertion and agony, Harry tore the sword from the ground, his muscles tense and veins sticking out he held the sword aloft with one hand. A beaming smile on his face, before everything went black and he sank into unconsciousness.


	18. Chapter 18 - Arthur

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 18: Arthur.**

Harry woke to find himself still in the once-horcrux cave. He was lying on the ground with the sword in his hand. His head was fuzzy, and the world spun around him leaving him blinking to clear it.

Pain ran through his body like his blood was carrying it until after a few moments the pain receded, like boiling water had returned to room temperature.

'Harry?' Merlin's voice rung in his ears as the ancient wizard's face came into view, blurry and indistinct. His vision cleared after a moment and the grey-bearded man came into focus.

Harry groaned as he sat up.

'Can I not do this again? I think it hurt more than the last time.' Harry ground out while holding his throbbing head.

'I don't think we can fit any more people in your head young one.' Godric said, rubbing a hand in wide circles on Harry's back.

'Is everybody okay? Who are you? Where am I?' came a voice from behind Godric and Merlin.

Harry looked up and saw a handsome man wearing simple cloth clothing, a full, though short beard and his hair cut short. He thought the man looked to be in his late thirties and had clear blue eyes filled with concern.

The man's eyes widened as he saw Merlin turn to face him.

'Merlin? What is going on? Where are we?' the man asked.

'Arthur, calm yourself. There is much to tell you-' Merlin started before a sharp pain lanced into Harry's mind.

Harry clutched his head in his hands, not even having time to scream in agony before the world went black.

* * *

_Arthur stood before his throne, a great wooden piece carved from a single tree. The throne was carved with pictures of the history of Camelot. The castle itself, surrounded by forest and farmland. Its subjects working the land while its knights defended the realm from their enemies._

_The throne was a masterwork of wood carving and was stained with lacquers to retain its wonder and to keep the years from wearing it down._

_The throne room was large, lit by an orange glow from hundreds of torches spaced around the stone walls of the windowless room._

_Arthur held out Excalibur, tapping its blade down upon the shoulders of the knight kneeling before him in full armour._

'_Rise, Mordred, Knight of Camelot and join us in defending the realm against all who covet its wonders.' Arthur intoned and the kneeling Knight stood, a fist clapping against the heavy armour that covered his heart._

'_I pledge my fealty to you, Arthur, King of the Britons.' _

_Mordred was a tall, imposing man. He was young and wore his dark curly hair to his shoulders, his shining armour emphasising his powerful build. Mordred gave a short bow to Arthur before leaving the throne room, leaving Arthur alone save for his advisor, Merlin._

'_Merlin, old friend. Did I do the right thing? Is Mordred ready for the pressures of Knighthood?' Arthur asked while the long-bearded Merlin just nodded._

'_Yes, my King, I feel he is ready. However, there is much uncertainty in his heart. Any more than that I cannot see.' Merlin murmured, his gaze on the door Mordred had left through._

'_My concern does not stem from being his King. He is my nephew, I fear that I have never shown him the love he has needed since his parents died, leaving him in my care.' Arthur sighed, turning his gaze to Merlin._

'_My King, you have done what you could. You haven't had the opportunity to play a doting uncle or father to the boy. You have spent most of his childhood fighting wars to protect this kingdom from the many enemies that surround us. I feel he understands that.' Merlin said, resting a hand on Arthur's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. _

'_I understand your words old friend. Now do you have any word on my sister?' Arthur asked while Merlin stroked his beard with a sigh._

'_No, my King, the last I heard of her, the Elves still hold her prisoner.' Merlin replied and Arthur let out a small growl in the back of his throat._

'_Why must those Elves set their sights on this kingdom? Why can they not leave us be?' Arthur clenched his jaw before sighing._

'_Never mind that, forget I said anything. Now, what of my wife? Where has she gone?' Arthur asked and noticed Merlin's hand stop stroking his long grey beard._

'_Merlin?'_

_Merlin coughed before looking at Arthur with a grimace._

'_Your wife has left the castle. It seems she and Lancelot have fled together. I do not know the truth of it just yet, but I have been told they are having an affair my King.' Merlin answered; his voice wary._

'_Where are they? I will ride out to retrieve them.' Arthur commanded, leaving his place before his throne and strode to the side of the throne room where his gleaming steel armour hung on its stand. He started strapping on his greaves and bracers as he waited for Merlin's response._

'_My King, they are rumoured to be at Emain Ablach to the south. But I suggest caution in this matter. Outside of Camelot, you are vulnerable.' Merlin cautioned as Arthur struggled to don his breastplate._

'_Old friend, I know how vulnerable I am, but this is my wife and my greatest Knight and all but brother. What other choice do I have?' Arthur asked before tightening the straps on his armour, performing the final checks to ensure it was worn correctly._

_Merlin sighed._

'_If you will not heed my council, at least consider this. Not all your foes are outside Camelot's borders. I will try to keep Camelot safe until your return.' _

'_Thank you, old friend. I will see you soon.' Arthur nods to Merlin before his long strides took him from the throne room._

_Within the hour, Arthur rode at the head of a hundred knights. Their pennants streaming behind them as they rode south to Emain Ablach, an island off the southern coast. _

* * *

_A day later, an hour before noon as they crossed a rise overlooking the ocean, Arthur heard a whistle. _

'_Ambush!' he called as he leapt from the saddle, Excalibur drawn in his hands. The blade shone a brilliant blue while his off hand spread wide creating a barrier around him._

_Arrows sped past him, burying deep into the knights that tried to dismount their horses, trying to form up around Arthur, providing a shield wall._

_Arthur watched as his Knights fell, one by one, arrows embedded in them, the shafts quivering from the force they were fired. _

_Longbows._

_Hundreds of arrows carpeted the ground, there were more archers around them than he had knights in his small detachment. With no idea of the numbers and the enemies' disposition, he had no choice._

'_Fall back to Camelot, retreat.' He called before spying his chance, he sped into the forest to their left before he could think further on it, his barrier holding against the arrows that pattered against it._

* * *

_Once inside the forest he came across an archer, whose wide eyes showed terror at seeing Arthur before him._

_The archer was in his twenties with dirty blonde hair and stunk of pig. Arthur was almost certain that the archer was a pig farmer and probably had lived his entire life in one of the villages within a few miles._

_Arthur cracked the pommel of Excalibur against the man's temple, watching as he fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. _

_With an irritated growl, Arthur dragged the man through the forest, looking for somewhere safe to interrogate the filthy man._

_An hour later he came across an old shack that looked as though it had been abandoned for some time. It was ramshackle and made of discarded timber, probably by some hunters trying to make shelter in a storm._

_Arthur couldn't hold back the sniff of disgust as he took in the shack, it looked like it would fall over in a stiff breeze, obviously the builders didn't know how to construct a building to last. _

_Once inside, Arthur sat the man in a battered chair and used some worn rope which lay on a nearby bench to tie the man down._

_Arthur looked around the shack and was sure his initial guess was correct, he was sure hunters were the only people to frequent this hovel. The shack had rusted knives and other trapping tools hanging on the walls, no windows and barely enough room to two men to stand._

* * *

_After an hour of waiting, the man woke. Arthur squatted before the filthy man who bore no mark, no sign of his master. _

'_Who were you told to kill?' Arthur growled, the angry blue glow coming from Excalibur in his hand giving his face an ethereal glint._

'_Y-you my King. I was forced to do it my lord.' The man stuttered, tears welling in his eyes as he tried to break eye contact with Arthur._

'_Who forced you? You tell me now, with no further prompting and you're free to go. If you hold out on me, you will wish for death.' Arthur snarled and inwardly smiled at the expression of terror on the quivering man._

'_S-sir M-Mordred my Lord. He threatened my master who sent me and my brothers for the ambush. Please forgive me my lord.' The man cried and Arthur stood, narrowing his eyes at the man._

'_Begone, if I see you again, you will beg for death.' Arthur growled before cutting the man's binds and sheathing Excalibur then leaving the shack._

* * *

_After a gruelling day and night of travel on foot, Arthur stepped back into his throne room to see Merlin poring over stacks of parchment._

'_Old friend, we are betrayed.' Arthur sighed, falling into his throne._

_Merlin was by his side moments later._

'_How, what happened my King?'_

'_Mordred. How did I miss the signs of this betrayal?' Arthur asked as Merlin let out a breath and bowed his head._

'_Old friend, we must hunt down my nephew, as well as my wife and Lancelot.' Arthur sighed, rubbing his face with his hands._

'_We have much to do.' Arthur said and nodded to Merlin._


	19. Chapter 19 - Companions

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. So far I don't even have any OCs!

**Chapter 19: Companions.**

Harry groaned as the lancing pain in his head faded along with the memory.

He looked up to see Godric and Merlin smiling at him, along with a new face, Arthur from the memory that had just released him.

'Welcome back young one. I would like to introduce you to Arthur.' Godric grinned, looking like he felt some semblance to the awe that Harry felt at seeing _The King Arthur_ in his mindscape, much like he had felt when he had first met Merlin.

'We have already filled Arthur in on everything that has happened.' Merlin smiled.

'Well met young Harry. I am proud to meet you, and to find that my name has survived so far beyond my time.' Arthur offered his hand which Harry shook with a grin.

'Welcome to my mind, Arthur?' Harry clarified, smiling as Arthur nodded.

'So, who did you follow from the underworld?' Harry asked and Arthur chuckled before growing silent.

'Mordred, my nephew.' Arthur growled.

'I'm sorry, sir. That must be hard.' Harry said, his head lowered.

Merlin clapped his hands, gathering their attention.

'Okay, so we are now all here it seems. We have Godric Gryffindor, co-founder of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, ancestor to Harry here.' Merlin motioned to Godric.

'Arthur, King of the Britons, leader of the Knight of the Round Table. With no relation to Harry.' Merlin added with a grin.

'- and myself, Merlin Emrys. Apparent god in the eyes of the current wizarding world.' Merlin joked as the four stood facing each other.

'We know what is happening in the world. Foes from our times have escaped the underworld, and work to obtain bodies in the living world. This we cannot allow.' Merlin paused, meeting the gaze of each of the others.

'We must prepare our young friend Harry here to face the foes we did in life. Only then can the underworld be closed off once more and the world of the living return to the way it should be. The dead have no place with the living.' Merlin nodded then.

'Are we ready to prepare our young friend?' three nods answered Merlin's question and the three men turned to Harry.

'Are you ready to become our instrument, to save the world?' Merlin asked, a lopsided smile on his face.

Harry grinned.

'I am.'

* * *

Harry groaned, waking up in his dorms he shared with the fifth-year boys. He was glad he hadn't been moved into the sixth-year boy's dorms; he didn't know any of them very well. But the thoughts of sleeping in the Hall of the Brave were looking better, he wouldn't have to deal with the others and that bed was the most comfortable bed he had ever felt.

He pushed himself up onto his elbows, taking a deep breath before climbing out of bed to have a shower.

Once he finished, he dressed and made his way down to the common room to find it empty. He continued out of the common room, making his way outside the castle and wondering if Sirius would still join him for his morning workout.

Harry by now, thanks to the many rituals he had been doing could perform harder and longer workouts than Sirius could keep up with. Looking at his watch, it was five in the morning and the sun hadn't risen, leaving the grounds shrouded in darkness.

With a shrug Harry begun his run around the lake, the chill in the air leaving him refreshed.

* * *

As the sun rose a few hours later, Harry was performing chin ups on a conjured iron bar that floated at the right height. His muscles bulged as he forced his body to go beyond its ritual enhanced limits.

Sweat covered his body with nothing above his waist, it glistened in the morning sun as he finished his morning work out with a quick dip in the ice-cold water of the lake. After washing off the sweat and the grime in the lake he strode out, drying himself with a conjured towel he dressed again and made his way up to the Headmasters office.

In front of the entrance, the gargoyle leapt out of his way, allowing him entrance. Moments later he stood in front of Dumbledore.

'Good morning sir, before I start with more important things, why does the gargoyle just let me in now?' Harry asked while the old wizard chuckled.

'Because I told it to always let you in. I figured it was easier this way, was I wrong?' Dumbledore asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

'No sir, it is easier. I just thought it was interesting. Anyway, I wanted to let you know I have a new mental companion. King Arthur.' Harry grinned and Dumbledore chuckled.

'Are there any other legendary figures you wanted to take from the underworld Harry?'

With a grin, Harry shook his head.

'I honestly don't think I can fit anymore in my head sir. Awakening Arthur hurt much more than it did when I woke Merlin. But more than that, I think I have a name for the last of the spirits, Mordred.' Harry revealed and Dumbledore sighed.

'I might have known. So, we have Voldemort, Salazar, Morgan Le Fey and Mordred?' Dumbledore sighed, removing his half-moon glasses and rubbing his eyes.

'Yes sir, I believe so.' Harry replied, a sombre note in his tone.

Dumbledore stood and nodded toward the door to his office.

'We should go down for breakfast. We have much to do.'

* * *

As a Sunday, Professor Flitwick had time to train him, so Harry spent much of the day learning new ways to be defeated by the Charms Professor. While he still lost every round, Harry was giving as good as he got, his skills growing sharper as Harry relied less on his inherent power and more on his skill in duelling.

By evening, Harry pulled himself to his feet after a five-minute duel where Flitwick had tricked him with a selection of traps he'd cast around the room while Harry struggled to work his way through a smoke screen.

Harry stood, dried and in some cases, oozing, blood caking his skin from minor wounds taken throughout the day. His skin was filthy, a mixture of sweat and blood combining with dirt and grime from a thousand-year-old castle.

In short, he looked like he had returned from a battlefield.

'That'll be enough for this evening Mister Potter, you have remained standing after at least eight hours of punishment. Any further than this and I'll be neglecting my duty to keep the students of Hogwarts safe.' Flitwick said with a small smile.

'Thank you, Professor for helping me improve.' Harry said, his voice filled with the weariness of the day.

With a smile and a nod, Flitwick left.

Sirius and Remus both walked to Harry's side.

'Pup, are you okay? The little guy's been flinging you around all day.' Sirius asked, a hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry gave a bloody smile.

'I'm fine, tis only a flesh wound.' He grinned and Remus face palmed.

'Why did I show you two that movie over the summer?' the werewolf asked.

'I'm fine guys, I'll make it back to my bed easy enough. I'll see you guys tomorrow.' Harry said, leaving the two men in the Room of Requirement.

With slow steps, Harry made his way to the Hall of the Brave. By the time he reached the secret room, his body had recovered thanks to the rituals he had been performing since the summer.

He took and shower and stepped inside the ritual room, he had another one to do before going to sleep.

* * *

Harry woke stood on the hillside overlooking Godric's Hogwarts. He smiled as Arthur approached him.

'Harry, the three of us have decided that to prepare you best, we will split the time we spend training you between us. Each of us getting an even amount of time for us to teach you what we can.' Arthur said, a kind smile on his face.

'Godric said that he will teach you to use two wands and perhaps some swordsmanship until you are ready for more Battle Magic than the shield. Merlin wants to work on wandless magic with you until you are ready for Grand Sorcery.' He paused, a small grin crossing his face.

'While I will work with you in swordplay, wandless magic and strategy.' Arthur grinned at Harry's confused expression.

'Strategy? Like chess?' Harry asked and Arthur laughed, taking a seat on the vibrant green grass.

'No Harry, you will face multiple powerful enemies, most likely working independently of each other. You will need to think in terms of the bigger picture, both in your fighting and if the small-scale battles turn into a war.' Arthur sighed.

'War, that is the one thing we don't want this to become. If we can contain this to multiple fights between a handful of fighters, that will be the best-case scenario. If large scale conflict begins, like with the fall of Durmstrang, the muggles will surely discover the world of magic.' Arthur closed his eyes and sighed.

'From what I have gathered since arriving in here, gathering the knowledge of the world from your experiences, if the muggles discover this world, it will not survive.' Arthur took a deep breath.

'But enough of that young Harry. We have much to do and less time to do it in.' Arthur grinned, standing and reaching out a hand to Harry who accepted, being lifted to his feet.


	20. Chapter 20 - Godric's History Part 3

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise. I did however use some Canon names for some OCs.

**Chapter 20: Godric's History Pt 3.**

Harry smiled down at the early Hogwarts, it was smaller and looked like it was a normal sort of castle.

He knew that his Hogwarts almost looked like parts of it shouldn't exist, it could never make sense to any muggles if they were to see it. It was clear that magic played a part in its continued existence.

This younger Hogwarts looked more than a normal mundane castle, but that didn't take away from it. Harry marvelled at some areas of the castle that hadn't changed in a thousand years, while others used to perform a function he couldn't fathom.

'Young one, before we begin, I feel you are ready for the rest of my tale.' Godric's voice came from behind him, heavy steps signalled Godric moving to stand by Harry's side, looking down on the younger version of Hogwarts.

'These memories come from about ten years after Salazar's return. He had joined us at Hogwarts and found love, became married and had children.' Godric begun, his words heavy with regret.

'The four of us ensured that Hogwarts was the premier school of magic in Europe, our students grew powerful and founded the Ministry of Magic, the founding families including names you may recognise. Potter, Black, Bones, Abbott, Smith among others you likely wouldn't recognise.' Godric smiled as Harry's gaze darted to his.

'Yes, young one, I taught the first Potters. I even married one of them years later. But while the school was stronger than ever. The world outside of the school was dark and full of danger, which is the original reason the Ministry was created, to bring order to the land.' Godric scowled before clapping a hand on Harry's shoulder.

'Now, it's time to show you something. Probably best to take a breath.' Godric suggested before Harry felt his vision grow dark.

* * *

_Godric watched with a soft smile as small children darted amongst the tables in the great hall. His smile grew as he noticed one child throw her arms around a second-year student giving them a wet kiss on the cheek._

_The two small children running amok were Salazar's children, they shared his black hair and piercing eyes, but the rest of their features came from their mother who was sitting next to Godric with a wide grin on her face._

'_Alicia, in a few years they will sit down there with the rest of the students. Are you planning on any more coming along to bring joy to these corridors?' Godric whispered, leaning over near her ear._

'_Well, perhaps eventually. They are approaching the time of their schooling, so perhaps I may consider it. If Salazar behaves that is.' Alicia grinned as Godric bellowed out a laugh, startling some first-year students sitting closest to the head table._

'_Godric, what is so funny now?' Rowena asked, a long-suffering sigh escaping her lips, though she held a slight smile._

_Godric saw the warning in Alicia's narrowed eyes and decided against teasing her husband, even if he wasn't there to defend himself._

'_Nothing, just thought I saw little Merope down there make a second-year blush.' He grinned, giving a wink to Alicia while Rowena rolled her eyes._

'_Godric, if Salazar comes up from his pet project today, please let him know that I'll be taking Merope and Marvolo with me to gather some potions ingredients. We shouldn't be any longer than lunch.' Alicia smiled up at Godric who grinned._

_Alicia was the Potions Professor and had been ever since she had finished her time at the school two years after Salazar had returned to them. Godric remembered the two of them meeting after she had joined the faculty, they had been almost inseparable ever since._

'_Of course Alicia, I'll pass it along if he comes up from his secret chamber.' Godric joked while Rowena to his left let out a soft chuckle._

'_Really Godric, why the two of you are always competing I will never know. Both of you with your secret rooms.' Rowena huffed, then turned thoughtful._

'_Which reminds me, I'm thinking of creating a room that can provide anything the user requires, taking the layout of the room from the mind of the user. What do you think?' she asked and Godric grinned._

'_You know that sounds brilliant, otherwise you wouldn't have asked. But how can I help?' Godric asked and saw a small smile of Helga's face._

'_Really Godric, the four of us need to work together on this project. It is a room far more advanced than anything ever conceived before.' Rowena explained, as though Godric was one of her students. Godric saw Helga's smile widen, seeing someone else taking the brunt of Rowena's attention._

'_Okay, okay. Rowena, whatever you need for this project, I will do if possible. Alicia? Did you want an escort on your travels today?' Godric asked, his eyes pleading. She gave a small laugh and shook her head._

'_No, nothing to concern yourself with Godric, we will just be moving around a few different places. You'll hardly notice we're gone.' Alicia grinned before standing, giving the others a nod and moved out of the room._

'_Merope, Marvolo, come.' She ordered and the nearby students chuckled as the two small children hurried to comply._

_Godric watched on with a smile as the children left the great hall before turning back to Rowena who watched him with narrowed eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape and so spent the morning with her and Helga designing their project._

_It was after lunch when Godric asked a passing student to find Alicia and the children, they should have returned already. _

_Godric turned to Rowena with worry in his eyes. Her stern countenance softened at the expression Godric wore._

'_Go on Godric, I must admit, I am worried about her too.' She admitted, turning back to her calculations._

_Godric ran to the second floor, where Salazar was constructing his secret chamber. It was an open secret among the faculty, though no one knew quite what it was, they all knew it was a chamber of some kind._

'_Salazar, are you in there?' Godric called through a doorway that led into a storage room. There was a large hole in the centre and as Godric grew closer to it, he saw the hole reach deep below him pitch black after only few metres._

_A moment later, Salazar appeared, riding a broom._

'_Yes Godric? Couldn't wait to discover my chamber could you?' Salazar grinned as he stepped off his broom, before slinging it over his shoulder._

'_Salazar, Alicia has not returned from her Potion ingredient trip. She didn't see you before she left did she?' Godric asked and Salazar stilled, all sense of humour leaving him as he stared at Godric._

'_No she didn't, did she tell you where she would gather them from?' Salazar asked and Godric saw the worry in his eyes._

'_No, only that she'd be back by lunch. She took Merope and Marvolo with her.' _

_Salazar turned pale._

'_Will you help me find her?' he asked and Godric nodded, _

'_Of course, brother.'_

_Together, the two left the school. Godric using his magic sense to follow the path Alicia had taken that morning. He followed the wafting trail and stopped when it disappeared._

'_Godric, what's wrong?' Salazar asked, panic in his voice._

'_Nothing, she apparated with the children, I'm trying to find that trail.' Godric muttered, his hands in front of him, manipulating the trails of magic for a few minutes._

'_There we are, Salazar, put a hand on my shoulder. This might be bumpy; we'll be following her apparition trail to somewhere I haven't been before.'_

_Salazar gaped at him._

'_Is that even possible?' Salazar asked, a deep frown on his face. _

_Godric grinned._

'_No idea, ready?' _

_With a sigh, Salazar nodded and Godric focussed on the trail. With a deafening crack the two disappeared._

_They reappeared in a wood, the two glanced around not sure what to do until a scruffy man holding a bow and wearing a mixture of leather and fur entered the clearing._

'_Wizards.' The scruffy man spat before knocking an arrow and drawing his bow, aiming at Godric's heart._

_With a wave of his wand, Godric sent the man crashing into a nearby tree where he was stuck to it. Godric strode to the man, stopping at Salazar's hand on his shoulder._

'_Godric, let me do this. You were never any good at interrogation.' Salazar said and Godric felt a shiver run down his spine before nodding and stepping out of Salazar's way._

_Salazar peered into the man's eyes before his eyes widened and all the colour left his face._

'_Salazar, what's wrong?' Godric asked, without a word, Salazar turned from the man and ran in the opposite direction. He moved faster than Godric had ever seen him, Godric glared at the man before following his friend._

'_Salazar, slow down.' Godric called before he burst through the tree line, he saw Salazar on the bank of a small lake, a muggle town on the other side of it. _

_The muggle town had a water wheel attached to a building, likely a mill. The water wheel was in a river that led into the lake and Godric saw the villagers gathered in the town centre. Beside the mill was a crane, with heavy rope on the land side and a chair on the river side._

_Godric's blood chilled as he recognised the dunking chair. He had heard they were used but seeing it in person froze him to the core._

'_Godric. You don't think?' Salazar asked, his face as white as chalk._

'_No, but let us get closer to find out for sure.'_

_Together, the two moved around the lake and into the village proper. It took almost twenty minutes while they each kept a wary eye on their surroundings._

_As they entered the village, there was a crowd, likely the entire population crowded in the centre. Whispers surrounded Godric and Salazar as they moved, the crowd parting around them as they moved._

_In the centre of the crowd lay three wooden tables, each table held a person._

_The centre table held Alicia and Godric's mind froze as he saw her soaked clothes and hair. Her purple skin and cuts covering her. Her fine clothes were ripped and torn and he felt himself grow numb at seeing the woman, once so full of life in her state. _

_He had helped deliver her children, he had taught her from the day she arrived at Hogwarts, one of the first to become a student._

_On either side of her lay her children. _

_Merope to her left and Marvolo to her right. _

_Only that morning the two had been running through the great hall causing untold mischief. They had brought joy to the hall of Hogwarts and Godric felt tears streaming down his face as he saw them._

_They both had a single deep gash in their necks. _

_Their throats had been cut. _

_They were pale as they lay on their tables, their life's blood staining the table and the ground beneath them._

_Godric turned to Salazar and saw the pain, the anguish inside his brother. But he also saw the rage, the air surrounding him in a haze and fire filled his eyes._

'_Brother, we should take them and leave. Please.' Godric whispered, but Salazar spared Godric a single glance._

'_You could have stopped this.' Salazar whispered before he drew his wands, within seconds the village was an inferno, every building exploded into flames as Fiendfyre tore through them. _

_The villagers that had been whispering around them were torn apart as tree roots tore themselves free of the earth and skewered them, taking them back down into the earth._

_Within moments the village was gone. _

_The villagers killed and buried under the earth to feed the trees, the buildings would smoulder over the coming days and provide charred ruins for bandits to inhabit for years to come._

'_Salazar…' Godric whispered in horror._

'_Godric, this is all your fault.' Salazar snarled, his wands glowing with barely restrained power._

'_The muggles will never accept us, they killed my family, they drowned my wife and slit my children's throats. They kill their own children if they show any signs of magic.' Salazar screamed, tears falling down his face._

'_You didn't listen Godric and I believed that you might be right in time, I trusted you to prove me wrong, that the muggles would grow and learn to accept us.' Salazar raged._

'_Salazar please…' Godric tried but froze as Salazar's eyes flashed._

'_No Godric, I will not listen to you ever again. I will wipe out these muggles, I will remove their stain from Britain, I will make this land a haven for our kind.' Salazar declared, eyes wild._

'_Salazar, don't.' Godric took a step toward his brother in all but blood._

'_If you do not stand aside, we are no longer brothers. You will be my enemy.' Salazar whispered, tears streaking his face._

_Godric remained silent, there was nothing he could do or say to stop him. _

_At Godric's silence Salazar gave a deep sigh._

'_So be it.' _

_Salazar threw three stones, glowing with a soft blue light at the bodies of his family, upon touching them they disappeared._

_Portkeys._

_With a last look at Godric, Salazar clenched his jaw and apparated away._

_Godric stood in the burning village before falling to his knees, sobbing with his face in his hands._

* * *

'I lost my family that day.' Godric murmured.

'My brother, Alicia and their children. We were so close; those children were like my own and Alicia the sister I never had. But it was all taken away.'

'Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I had joined him in his grief fuelled rage…' Godric muttered and Harry stared at the founder, not knowing what to say.

'I'm sorry Godric, truly I am.' Harry said, his head bowed as they each looked down at the young Hogwarts, filled with students in the distance.


	21. Chapter 21 - The Chamber of Secrets

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 21: The Chamber of Secrets.**

_**More towns found abandoned.**_

_There are increasing numbers of disappearances in Europe sparking fears in the ICW of a new conflict such as we haven't seen in over fifty years. _

_There have been disappearances reported across Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia leading some to fear that those responsible for the fall of Durmstrang will strike again._

_The ICW is convening a meeting today to determine a course of action for the European ministries. This meeting will be held at the French Ministry of Magic and is expected to be attended by all Ministries, with the sole exception of British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge who has been quoted as saying,_

"_This is all a load of tosh, fear mongering led by Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter."_

_All this comes as there were suspected Death Eater attacks across the UK last night. _

_Dover, Falmouth and Hull being among the towns where the Dark Mark was sighted during an attack._

_This reporter feels that the collective wisdom of the ICW should be followed, rather than one man in denial._

_Jennifer Jenkins._

Harry looked at the map of Europe included with the article with the areas now reporting disappearances in a blood red colour while the rest remained grey.

Sighing, Harry tossed the paper to the table, running his hands through his hair. He was finally starting to feel ready to be involved in the fighting, but there was nothing he could do, not if he was being realistic in any case.

He glanced up and saw an odd blank expression on the faces on students across the room. His eyes narrowed as he took in the room, most of the upper years of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wore the same expression, and all Slytherin.

Though looking closer, he noticed none of the fifth year or higher Slytherins in the hall.

'_Something seems off about those students young one.'_ Godric murmured in his mind.

Harry agreed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of what was happening.

Getting up, he strode to the high table, holding the Professors, minus Dumbledore. He stopped in front of Sirius who stopped talking with Flitwick and turned to face Harry.

'What is it pup?' Sirius asked, his voice low.

'I don't know, I need to go talk to Dumbledore. There's something wrong with the students, something right in front of me but I can't figure it out.' Harry let out a low growl as his eyes never left Sirius'.

'I'm suspicious about the exact same vacant stare that almost half of the school are wearing, it started with the Slytherins awhile ago, I just wasn't paying attention until now.' Harry whispered and Sirius' gaze darted around the hall to confirm Harry's words.

Sirius followed Harry's gaze and his eyes widened.

'I see it now pup, I just thought they were bored. But you're right, it's almost half the school, the Ravenclaws would never look bored at school.' He joked, though neither of them even chuckled.

'Go pup, I'll keep an eye on things here.' Sirius said and gave Harry a nod.

Harry turned and left the hall, ignoring the whispers that followed him wherever he went, though they were especially prevalent this year. He noticed the students with the vacant expression weren't involved with the whispers which shot off even more alarm bells in his mind.

With long strides, Harry made his way out of the great hall, toward the central staircases to go to the Headmaster's office. About halfway there he saw a small blonde girl wearing only a sheet and a single shoe.

'Are you all right?' Harry asked the girl who turned around and Harry rushed to her, falling to his knees in front of her. He realised who the girl was a moment later.

'Luna? Are you all right? What happened?' Harry questioned, thoughts running through his mind.

Harry tore off his robes, leaving him in his dragonhide outfit before putting his robes on the shivering girl, averting his gaze for a moment between the sheet coming off and the robe going on.

Luna stared at him with her serene expression and a slight smile, while Harry's passive magic sensing he had been developing screamed _cold, lonely_ and _afraid_.

Harry rubbed her shoulders and cast a wandless warming charm on the shivering girl. Moments later her smile grew wider and her serene expression faded.

'Harry, thank you. The Umgubular Slashkilters seem to be spreading through the school.' Luna said, her spacey voice more normal than he'd ever heard it, which worried him.

'What do you mean Luna?'

'I stayed away from the Ravenclaw common room last night because the Umgubular Slashkilters have infested the upper years, they tried to get me too after I showered but I ran.' Luna said, and Harry saw fear in her eyes, a fear he only saw a spark of on the train with Death Eaters above them.

'I noticed the Slytherins were the first to be infested, then they spread to the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs.' Luna finished, looking down and Harry stared at her.

'_I am such a fool._' Godric murmured and Harry blinked.

Godric screamed in his head and Harry clutched his skull with his hands, falling to his knees while Luna dropped to her knees in front of him, fear in her eyes.

'Harry? What's wrong?' her voice held a note of panic that he hadn't expected as her hands grasped his shoulders.

'_Salazar was fond of a potion which he used to interrogate people, it would make them his slaves, only too happy to divulge their secrets.'_ Godric snarled.

Harry clapped a hand to his face, now that Godric was no longer screaming in his mind.

'Dammit, why didn't I think of it before? Is there anywhere else Salazar would go, other than the Chamber of Secrets? What if he got here before we did? What if he was here during the summer?' Harry breathed and he felt his mental companions grow silent, that itself worried Harry.

Blinking and shaking his head, Harry met Luna's scared eyes.

'Can you do me a favour Luna?' Harry asked, conjuring her a pair of shoes and changing the trim of her robes to blue rather than the red of Gryffindor. At her nod, he continued, handing her a piece of candy, one of the Weasley twins puking pastilles.

'Go to the hospital wing. Take this side and you will start throwing up. Take this side and it'll stop. Hopefully that will get you out of class and safe until I can figure out what is going on.' He said, a comforting smile on his face, at least he thought it was.

The small blonde looked up at him, a single tear in her eye as she nodded.

'Don't worry Luna. I will always be around, if I can ever help you, let me know and I will. I promise.' He gave her a hug and she ran.

Letting out a breath, Harry groaned.

'I should have seen this earlier Godric.'

'_No young one, I am the one most familiar with him. I should have seen.'_ Godric groaned.

'_Never mind you two. We have a spirit to confront.'_ Arthur's voice cut in and Harry clenched his jaw, nodding.

'Dobby.' Harry called, a moment later the excitable little elf appeared with a crack.

'Yes, Great Master Harry Potter sir?'

'Dobby, I need you to tell Dumbledore that I need him at Moaning Myrtles bathroom, as quick as he can, okay?' Harry asked, Dobby's eyes went wide, and he disappeared with a sharp crack.

Harry ran toward the bathroom, knowing that Dumbledore could get there in an instant thanks to Fawkes.

* * *

Minutes later, Harry stood in front of the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

In a girl's bathroom.

'Oh, hi Harry.' Came the scared voice of Moaning Myrtle, poking her head out of one stall, halfway down and on the right. The same stall she died in fifty years before.

'Myrtle? What's wrong?' Harry asked, cocking his head toward her.

'The Master bad ghost has trapped me in here. He won't let me go anywhere else.' She said, silvery tears falling.

'The bad ghost Myrtle, is he below us?' Harry asked, receiving only a nod before she ducked back into her stall.

A flash of flame lit the room in a red glow for a moment before Dumbledore stood beside Harry, Fawkes on his shoulder.

Harry couldn't help but release a sigh in relief.

'Sir, Salazar is in the Chamber of Secrets mind controlling students.' Harry said, narrowing his eyes as Dumbledore stared at him.

'Are you sure Harry?'

'Yes, about half the school are displaying signs of a potion that Salazar used to use in life. The potion enslaves the drinker to his will, he used it for interrogations.' Harry explained and Dumbledore's eyes widened with each world.

Harry finally saw the Dumbledore that the entire world was afraid of. He could feel the magic seeping out of the old man, making him seem almost godlike.

'Harry are you ready to face a Hogwarts Founder?' he said, his bright blue eyes radiating power.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

'No, I can't beat Godric.' He admits, a small growl in his throat, he felt Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder.

'Then we will have to focus more on that part of your training then. Let's go.' Dumbledore said before releasing Harry and turning toward the sink.

Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes, finding his centre.

He leaned down and opened his eyes to look at the small snake on the sink.

'_Open.'_ He hissed in Parseltongue and with a rumble, the sink moved, opening to the large pipe he had seen the last time.

'Ready sir?' Harry asked before moving to jump in the hole, he stopped as Dumbledore held his shoulder.

'Harry, can you ask for stairs?' the old man asked, his eyebrows raised.

'I'm not a young man you know?' he continued, and Harry gave a sheepish grin.

'_Stairs.' _Hissed Harry, but nothing happened.

Harry turned to Dumbledore and shrugged.

'Should I try something else?' he asked before Dumbledore sighed and jumped into the hole.

Harry felt bad that he let a man more than a hundred years old jump down the hole before him, but quickly jumped down the hole behind him. He had to hold back the excited shout as he slid down the pipe, figuring the element of surprise could be an option for them.

As Harry slid out of the pipe, he found himself cleaned of grime by Dumbledore, waving his wand in the dimly lit room.

Unlike the last time he was in the Chamber, Harry wondered where the light came from, it wasn't natural light all the way under the castle as they were.

'Are you okay Harry?' Dumbledore asked with a small smile as Harry patted his clothes, looking for any dirt or grime that was missed.

'Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you.' Harry muttered before finishing his inspection and sending the Headmaster a small grin.

'Let's go, the cave-in should be this way.' Harry said as he moved off to their left, a few moments later only for Harry to stop in surprise.

'But this is where the cave-in was. What's going on?' Harry asked as Dumbledore stroked his beard.

'Perhaps Salazar felt it prudent to repair it?' the Headmaster asked, and Harry shrugged.

'Yeah, that makes sense I suppose. Okay, further up here is the door to the main chamber. Get ready.' Harry said, his face growing stony as he drew his wand.

The great dark steel carved snake door stood guarding the chamber and Harry couldn't help but stare in wonder at the detail involved in its design. He turned his gaze to Dumbledore who nodded before turning back to the door, taking a deep breath.

'_Open._' He hissed and the door swung open to reveal the chamber.

The first thing Harry noticed was the lack of a giant basilisk corpse.

The second thing was that most of the Slytherins above fourth year were present, along with a smattering of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.

Harry's eyes narrowed as all the students turned to stare at them in concert, it was an unnerving feeling.

He saw Draco Malfoy staring at him with black, empty eyes in the throng's rear.

'_Young one, that blonde boy Malfoy, he contains the spirit of Salazar.'_ Godric murmured and Harry nodded, then without taking his gaze from the brainwashed students whispered to Dumbledore.

'Salazar is inside Draco Malfoy right now.' Beside Harry, Dumbledore nodded once.

An instant later, every wand in the chamber, bar three, fired at Dumbledore. Only Harry, Dumbledore and Malfoy didn't.

Harry flung out his wand, halfway through casting a Battle Magic shield when Dumbledore created one with a swift flick of his wand.

Harry stopped his shield and turned to firing stunners at the students as the student's spells crashed into the crimson metal shield with a soft gong.

He saw Malfoy drop to his knees inside a glowing green circle, a shield flared around him and when Harry flung a stunner at it, he groaned as his spells splashed against the shield.

A few moments later, under Harry and Dumbledore's stream of stunning spells, the room was filled with unconscious students.

Dumbledore fired a spell Harry didn't recognise that bounced off the shield, then the shield shone green, so bright that it blinded them.

His eyes covered by his hands; Harry growled.

'He just finished a ritual; I can only assume he's getting a new body as we speak.' Harry snarled as the green light burned his eyes through his hand.

The green light faded, leaving Harry blinking as he saw an unconscious Malfoy laying on the ground with a tall, bearded and naked man tearing himself free of the unconscious teens back. Some gross ichor connecting the two, dripping off the man onto the chamber floor.

The man stepped away from the teen, kneeling to pick up two discarded wands that lay nearby. He waved one wand and a shadowy material coalesced over his body, forming to look like a rich set of black robes with a green trim.

Harry couldn't help the thought that he wanted to learn how to do that.

Then, with an unwelcome surprise, Harry noticed the man sharing an uncanny resemblance to the massive stone bust behind him and the memories Harry had seen from Godric.

Salazar had regained his original body, not a new one.

Salazar smirked at the two intruders; his wands held at his sides.

'Now that I have regained my body, Hogwarts is mine.'

At his statement, the door into the Chamber of Secrets slammed shut with a loud bang and Dumbledore fell to one knee, clutching his heart with shock and pain in his eyes.

Harry ran to the old man's side.

'What's wrong?' Harry asked, Dumbledore shook his head, his jaw clenching beneath his beard and Harry snagged a fallen students wand and stood, facing the Hogwarts founder.

'Don't worry sir, I've got this.' Harry murmured, matching his gaze with Salazar Slytherin.

The new wand in his hand rebelled against him, he knew he had a poor connection with the wand, but there wasn't anything he could do about it until he went to see Olivander, assuming they made it through this.

Harry waited a few moments, his eyes locked with the reborn founder. Half expecting the man to monologue like his heir and found he was rather disappointed when he didn't, it would have made things easier to draw out so Dumbledore would have time to recover.

An instant later, one of Salazar's wands flicked up to Harry, a colourless spell speeding at him. Harry didn't know what it was, but knew that he couldn't dodge with Dumbledore defenceless behind him.

A silent Protego sprung up to block the spell, the shield shattered but stopped it.

Salazar's eyes widened.

'You are far more powerful than this rabble.' The founder gestured to the unconscious students around him.

'Why is that?' Salazar's narrow-eyed gaze never leaving Harry's eyes. With another flick of his wand, another spell sped at Harry, crashing into and shattering another shield.

Harry felt a heavy drain on his magic, the spells being used packed a massive punch and he reconsidered whether he could stand against the reborn founder.

The Protego was supposed to be able to hold up to multiple hits.

Against his usual training partners, a single Protego could soak up almost a dozen spells, against Salazar they could only handle one, just.

'Foolish boy, seeking to match your power against Salazar Slytherin? Greatest of the Hogwarts four?' Salazar crowed.

'_Really? I can't believe he actually said that. He must have gotten worse after a thousand years in Tartarus.'_ Muttered Godric.

Harry was pushed back toward the still kneeling Dumbledore as a stream of spells Harry didn't recognise came at him from Salazar. He knew a handful, but the vast majority he didn't.

Harry flung up a Battle Magic shield that shook and held against the spells coming from Salazar, a loud gong filling the chamber as the crimson shield soaked up the damage.

The spells stopped and Harry dropped the shield, aware that his magic wasn't strong enough to hold it for extended periods.

Harry saw the man peering at him as the dust settled, before a smirk covered his face.

'Who taught you Battle Magic child?' the asked, his voice soothing, yet dangerous. Harry felt like the man was lulling him to a false sense of security like a snake charmer.

At Harry's silence, the founder growled and Salazar's skin lit up with green ritual tattoos, creating glowing patterns across his body. Light shone from beneath his robes and the mans eyes shone with a green light. Harry figured it was now or never and activated his own ritual tattoos, his glowing white.

He had been conducting as many as could safely do, and his all passively enhanced his body and magic. Harry had conducted three active rituals, leaving him with three spaced out tattoos that shone from his body.

An _Eihwaz_ rune on back of his left hand shaped like an 'I' with an upward tick on the bottom left and a downward tick on the top right. A _Sowilo_ rune on his right hand, shaped like a reverse 'N' and a _Dagaz_ rune on his left cheek, shaped like a triangular infinity symbol. The three runes shone with a bright white light.

Harry's small increase from his active rituals couldn't hold up to Salazar's lifetime of rituals. Salazar's wands snapped toward Harry and great red jets of light came tearing toward him, Battle Magic.

Harry conjured rocks and banished them toward the Battle Magic, knowing he couldn't match Salazar in power, he knew the Battle Magic would tear through his shields, even his own Battle Magic shields would be as effective as tissue paper against these deadly jets of magic.

The only advantage Harry had was that Salazar couldn't see him through the Battle Magic, seeing as it was massive and blinding in its brightness. So, Harry kept tossing rocks at them just outside of the explosive range of the Battle Magic, but after a few moments, different Battle Magic tore through the rocks, an ice blue blast of magic sped toward him and Harry knew he couldn't stop it.

A loud gong filled the chamber and Harry saw a crimson Battle Magic shield in front of him and heard Dumbledore struggle to his feet beside him.

Dumbledore stood panting, clutching his heart with one hand and his wand with the other. With a nod Harry put up two Battle Magic shields behind Dumbledore's one, which fell a moment later as the ancient wizard twirled his wand, going on the attack.

Dumbledore transfigured a rock into a lion which leapt across the chamber toward Salazar, only to explode in a red mist as Salazar turned a wand onto it.

But by then, Dumbledore had animated a handful of statues around the room and conjured wild animals, directing them to attack the reborn founder.

Harry watched in awe as the Headmaster tossed so many spells at Salazar that Harry lost count. He was so fast, and the ancient man tossed the occasional Battle Magic spell into the mix leaving Harry in awe of his Headmaster.

The effort to defend against Dumbledore pulled Salazar's attention from attacking so Harry let the red metal shields drop.

He tossed everything he could think of at the founder, bone breakers, cutting curses, even some schoolyard jinxes, anything he could to distract the founder.

Salazar was using one wand to destroy the animated statues and conjured animals with his other wand shielded or deflected the spells thrown at him by Harry and Dumbledore.

Harry grew painfully aware of the disparity between himself and the other two wizards, as hard as he had been training, he still had a long way to go to even come close to either of these two.

A cutting curse from Harry got past Salazar's defences. He opened a wide, deep cut in the man's leg while at the same time, an unknown spell clipped Harry's shoulder, sending him spiralling through the air. Harry crashed into the wall of the Chamber of Secrets and dropped into the pool of water that surrounded the open area.

His vision grew blurry as he pulled himself half out of the freezing water gasping for air. He saw Salazar clutching his leg in pain before sneering and disappearing, what looked like a Portkey in his hand.

Harry's eyes grew heavy and blackness filled his vision, and he passed out.


	22. Chapter 22 - Arthur's History Part 2

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 22: Arthur's History.**

Harry opened his eyes inside his mindscape, he let out a breath as he let his body relax.

He glanced around to find himself in a forest, the soft mossy ground was comfortable to lie on and the soft sounds of forest insects filtered through his mind.

'Harry, no time for rest. We have much to do.' Arthur's voice came from behind him and Harry rolled over to face the man.

'Didn't I just get my butt kicked by Salazar?' Harry whined while Arthur chuckled.

'Why yes you did. But he fled from the wound you gave him, I don't think he expected you to be as good as you are, or for your Headmaster to be as powerful as he is.' Arthur smiled, holding a hand out to Harry who groaned before taking it.

Harry stood and brushed dirt and moss off his clothes before meeting Arthur's gaze.

'So, what are we doing then?' Harry asked and Arthur gave a grim smile.

'You will learn more of my past. I know how much you love going down memory lane.' Arthur gave a smirk.

'I got that saying correct, didn't I?' the King asked, and Harry snorted.

'Yeah, I'm not sure if hearing you guys saying modern slang that you've taken from my mind is funny or sad. I mean, you're _King Arthur_. Shouldn't you be speaking in _ye olde English_ or something?' Harry sighed before setting his shoulders.

Arthur clapped Harry on the shoulder with a soft grin.

'Okay, now this memory is a few years after the last one. Lancelot had been on the run with Guinevere, which was enough stress in my life, let me tell you that. But Mordred was also trying to wage a civil war and doing quite well.' Arthur explained with a far away look in his eye.

'He had contracted the Goblins to assist him in his war. He had his own elite group of warriors, his Black Knights. Mordred also lured several tribes of trolls to join his forces, even with all this, Camelot held strong.' Arthur continued, a small smile on his face.

Harry nodded, wondering what he would do in Arthur's situation. He shuddered at the thought of being put in the man's position.

Then his eyes grew heavy and groaned, knowing he would feel horrible after the memory finished.

* * *

Arthur sat on his throne but gone was the confident and charming air of the King of legend. In his place sat a battered man, his face sunken and pale. His bloodshot eyes weary of war and betrayal as they gazed across the throne room.

Beside Arthur stood Merlin, ancient and powerful. Long grey beard trailing to his knees and gnarled staff in hand. Merlin wore faded brown robes that contained more pockets and hidden areas than should be possible.

From one of his secret pockets, Merlin drew a small stone and held it in a fist. With a nod to himself, Merlin put the stone back inside the folds of his robes.

'Merlin, tell me of Morgana.' Arthur asked, the first words he had said since the sun had risen that day.

It was past noon.

'My King, your sister is in the hands of the Elves. She is outside my reach.' The ancient wizard murmured; his eyes downcast.

'Have you discovered what the Elves have planned for Camelot?' Arthur asked, his voice a rasping shadow of years before.

'No, my King. I have suspicions, but nothing clear. Only that their plans involved the Queen.'

Arthur's visage crumbled and he let out a deep sigh, his face falling into his hands as a sob escaped him.

Merlin remained silent for a few minutes while Arthur regained his composure.

A knock at the entrance to the throne room broke the silence and a soldier ducked into the room.

'Your Majesty, we have apprehended Sir Lancelot trying to enter the city. Shall we bring him to you?' the soldier asked, his face an impassive mask as is only right for a soldier of Camelot.

Arthur sat up in his throne, his eyes narrowed, and jaw clenched.

'Yes, please do young man.' Merlin said with a nod to the soldier, before turning to Arthur.

'My King, I know that you have a great many thoughts and feelings flowing in you right now, but the realm must come first.' Merlin cautioned and Arthur relaxed his body, nodding and letting out a breath.

'Yes of course my old friend. You are right. We will see what he says before exacting judgement on him.' Arthur ground out; his jaw tight.

Moments later, a group of soldiers led a handsome man into the throne room. The man had blonde hair that covered his ears and bright blue eyes, he was tall and well built. The very image of one of the Knights of the Round Table.

Lancelot.

As soon as Lancelot saw Arthur he dropped to his knees. He was dressed in fine clothes, such as only the wealthiest could afford, blue with a gold trim. He knelt uncaring of his fine clothes; Lancelot lay his forehead on the stone floor with his hands on either side.

'Your Majesty.'

Arthur watched his once closest friend and greatest knight prostrate himself before him. His hatred and pain giving way for a single moment, in that moment he saw his friend once more. Then the moment passed and everything else returned.

'Lancelot, you have betrayed your King, your brother. Yet you return, why?'

Lancelot did not move from his position.

'My King, my shame is great. But I returned to inform you of the Queen, she is with Mordred.'

'I, she, after she left to join Mordred, I felt as though waking from a dream. A dream I remember but had no control over.'

Arthur stared at Lancelot, his eyes narrowed, never leaving the prostrate man. He saw Merlin move to kneel before Lancelot, his steps swift.

Merlin put a finger on the mans chin bidding him soundlessly to rise before peering into the man's eyes for several long moments.

When the ancient wizard was done, he released Lancelot's chin and he fell back to his knees, tears flowing down his face.

'My King.' Begun Merlin, a worried expression on his aged face as he turned to meet Arthur's gaze.

'Lancelot here was bewitched; he was given potions daily by the Queen. These potions influenced him and caused his betrayal. But what I have seen in his mind concerns me.' Merlin muttered, his eyes darting around the room as his mind raced.

Arthur sighed and gestured for the guards with a wave of his hand.

'Take Lancelot to a guest room, I will require him at a later time.'

Two salutes followed the instruction and the two guards each took an arm of the crying Knight and took him from the throne room.

At an impatient wave of his hand, the other soldiers left the room so that only Arthur and Merlin remained.

'What concerns you so, my old friend?' Arthur asked.

Merlin's gaze met Arthur's and the ancient wizard sighed.

'I believe I understand what the Elves want.'

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

'And what is it they want?'

Merlin took a deep breath.

'Camelot. I have long thought they wanted Camelot, though I was never certain. I believe they desire the lake, or perhaps more likely, the lady that resides in it.'

Arthur's gaze went to Excalibur as it leaned up against his throne, inside its sheath.

'But why the lady? And why haven't they taken Camelot by force? Only the two of us would even stand a chance against their magic.'

'Correct, but the Elves are different from men. They live almost endless lives, time is of no interest to them, they will rarely do anything for short-term gains. If even a single Elf died to bring Camelot to ruin, the price would be too high for their eternal race.' Merlin muttered as he paced across the throne room.

'So, they seek to bring Camelot to ruin by subtler means? Have us kill each other? Did they orchestrate everything that has happened until now?' Arthur asked and Merlin just shrugged.

'My King, I still do not know. But I feel as though we will find out. I do not know if the Queen was a willing participant in the Elves plans, nor whether Mordred is. But I will do everything I can to find out.' Merlin declared and Arthur lay back into his throne with a tired sigh.

* * *

Harry woke upon the soft mossy forest floor to find Arthur leaning against a tree, a far away expression on his face as he stared at a castle in the distance. This castle was not grand and awe inspiring like Hogwarts, with its spires and towers.

The castle was squat, practical and spared little effort in appearances.

'This, young Harry, is Camelot.' Arthur introduced without turning around.

Harry pulled himself to his feet and stood beside Arthur.

'While it isn't as grand as Hogwarts, I'll admit. It was once the greatest castle in Britain, possibly the world.' Arthur smiled.

'It was my home.' Arthur's smile turned bittersweet.

'What happened after that memory?' Harry asked and Arthur sighed.

'That is a story for another time my young friend. I-I am not ready to share it just yet. But rest assured that you will know, in time.'

Arthur turned to face Harry and clapped a hand on his shoulder with a smile.

'We have some time before you wake up, let's get to work.'


	23. Chapter 23 - Family

**Disclaimer**: Still own nothing.

**Chapter 23: Family.**

Harry woke to see the pristine white of the hospital wing. With a groan he blinked, and his gaze darted around the room.

It was early afternoon judging by the light streaming in through the windows and everything in his body hurt; it was like Buckbeak had trampled him.

His vision was blurry for a moment and he struggled to make out the two sleeping figures, one of each side of his bed, both their heads resting on their arms on his bed.

A flash of intense pain rushed through his body and he tensed, only a small groan of pain escaping his mouth as the door to the hospital wing opened.

'Ah Harry, I'm so glad you're okay.' Cheered Sirius, Harry could hear the smile in his voice and wiped his eyes, clearing them.

His vision returned; Harry grinned at Sirius which turned to a grimace as another flash of pain echoed through his body.

'What happened Sirius?'

Sirius sighed, taking a seat on a bed next to Harry's.

'Salazar escaped, after he fled, the students seemed to snap out of their daze.'

'They're fine, although they are confused about what has happened to them. Dumbledore is talking to them now.'

Harry nodded, letting out a deep breath.

'Do we know where he went to?'

'No pup, and that worries me. However, Salazar is no longer our biggest concern.' Sirius said, handing Harry the Daily Prophet.

Harry's face turned white at seeing the picture of a burning, once elegant castle.

_**Beauxbatons in Flames!**_

_The premier French Magical School was attacked last night. _

_An army of wizards and muggles attacked the World-Renowned Academy. Reports show that Veela led the army._

_At the head of the Veela was the Matriarch, a once respected individual who had fought for equal rights for Veela in the ICW, now calling herself Morgan le Fey._

Harry felt his heart stop.

Fleur. Gabrielle.

He needed to help them, he needed to get out of this room and do something.

'_Damn it, I thought we would have had more time.' _Merlin raged and Harry felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach.

The reality of what he was trying to do now felt far too real and oppressing.

He couldn't even support Dumbledore properly in their fight with Salazar, how would he be able to handle Morgana as well?

'_Morgana always liked France, a better climate she said. She may stay there and consolidate her power. She may attack the French Ministry or come across to take Avalon. I do not know.'_ Merlin murmured and Harry only half heard the words of the greatest wizard in history.

Harry looked up to Sirius, but before he could ask anything, the man reached over to the bedside table and picked up a letter, handing it to Harry.

'Hedwig left this for you a few hours ago.' Sirius explained, his grim gaze on the letter as Harry looked at it.

_Dear Harry,_

_The Veela have gone mad. _

_My Maman and Papa are coming to collect Gabrielle and myself from Beauxbatons soon, we are leaving to join you at Hogwarts, I was told this only minutes ago and so am writing this in the hopes it reaches you before I do._

_The Veela have changed, I do not know what has caused it. But they are different now than those women that Maman has known her entire life, many of them are like aunties to me. _

_Maman has told me it is no longer safe at Beauxbatons and she believes that the Veela are coming for Beauxbatons next._

_I am looking forward to seeing you again, but I wish the world wasn't so crazy._

_Love,_

_Fleur._

Harry looked up from the letter to Sirius.

'Has Fleur and her family arrived yet?' he asked, hope in his voice. Sirius shook his head, his eyes widening.

'They should have been here if she sent that letter with Hedwig. Floo and apparating is faster than owls are.' Sirius trailed off and Harry felt his heart sink.

He handed the letter to Sirius, who took it with trembling hands.

'I want that back Sirius.' Harry said as the man read through the letter.

Taking a deep breath, Harry pushed his emotions aside for the moment. He would trust to hope; he would believe she was okay.

'Is Dumbledore okay after the battle? He seemed to be hurt?'

Sirius shook himself out of his thoughts, planting a weak smile on his face.

'After Salazar fled the castle, control of Hogwarts reverted to Dumbledore and the old man has been working on ways to stop Salazar from regaining that control.'

'Sorry pup, I have to show this to Dumbledore, I'll be back as soon as I can.' Sirius said and Harry nodded, giving a soft smile as Sirius left the room at a run.

Harry lay back in his bed with a sigh before he noticed Hermione had woken up, though he didn't know how much she had heard. He saw the worry in her eyes and closed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath.

'How much did you hear?' Harry asked, his voice no more than a whisper.

She blushed and ducked her head.

'All of it.'

'I wish that none of this was happening, that we could have just had a normal fifth year at Hogwarts.' He sighed.

She snorted.

'We haven't had a single simple year yet.'

He growled, then nodded.

'I will explain everything you heard once your occlumency is up to scratch. But until then, have you found anything out about escaping the underworld?' he asked, the same question he had asked her at the end of their fourth year, with him in the same bed.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes before running her hands through her bushy hair.

'I found nothing in wizarding books. But in muggle books there were stories in Greek mythology of heroes travelling down there to do various things, but nothing about how exactly to leave.' She explained and he sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

'Harry?' Hermione asked, biting her lip.

'W-would you train the students to fight? It would be important to help them prepare, now that not only Voldemort is reborn, but Salazar Slytherin as well.' She asked, and Harry saw the fear in her eyes, she was terrified.

Harry couldn't help the snort that came out.

'Grindelwald has escaped his prison too, but also Morgan Le Fey just destroyed Beauxbatons.' He growled, handing Hermione the Prophet.

Her face grew pale and the paper shook in her hands.

'Hermione, please focus on researching possible ways for me to deal with these reborn threats. Maybe ask Sirius or Flitwick about training the students.' Harry paused, watching as Hermione put the Prophet down on the bed and met his gaze.

'I _really_ hate to say it, but I don't have time to train the students. I need to quickly bridge the gap between myself and these legendary figures. Which basically means I need to get past Dumbledore's level as soon as possible.' He paused to take a breath, seeing her wide eyes.

'The explanation as to why it has to be me that does this will have to wait until you can do occlumency.' Harry said, his voice low.

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes, then nodded, wiping a tear from her eye with trembling hands. She leant forward and kissed Harry's cheek.

'I'll be in the library.' She whispered before standing and moving to Ron's side and slapping the redhead's shoulder, waking him.

'Wha-?' Ron mumbled.

'Come _on._ We need to go to the library. Harry needs his rest.' Hermione growled, sending Harry a wink over Ron's shoulder.

'What? Mate? What's going on?' Ron gaped at Harry.

'Go with her mate, she'll fill you in on what's going on.' Harry wore a grin that didn't reach his eyes and Ron nodded, getting up and leaving the hospital wing a step behind Hermione.

Harry leant back on his bed once more, thoughts rushing through his mind though unable to act on any of them.

An hour later, Poppy entered the room and gave him a handful of vials.

'Mister Potter, take these, then you can go.' She ordered, a small smile on her face as his eyes lit up.

'But I don't want you doing anything but resting for the next two days. If you do you may injure yourself, which would stop you from training for even longer.' She added at seeing his expression. He scowled at being caught, he had been considering going straight back to training to make up for lost time.

'Of course, Poppy. I'll behave.' Harry said with a grin, finishing the last of the potions.

'Off with you Mister Potter, I don't want to see you again any time soon.' She shook her head with exasperation as he climbed out of bed to change.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Harry lay on the grass next to the black lake, watching the small waves move across its surface. Lost in his thoughts, so much was happening, but the only thing on his mind was concern for Fleur.

Did she get out in time? Where was she now?

He watched the waves, as if hoping to find his answers within the lake.

The smell of lavender came on the soft wind and he heard a musical voice behind him.

'Would you rather be alone 'Arry?'

Harry jumped to his feet and spun to see Fleur standing a few metres behind him, dirt smudged on her perfect face and her light blue robes torn and singed.

He closed the distance between them in an instant, wrapping her in a tight embrace that she returned without hesitation. Harry squeezed her close to him and inhaled the scent of lavender before releasing her.

'Are you okay?' he asked, his voice quiet as his eyes met hers.

She gave a weak smile and sat down, taking a deep breath. Her hands held his in a vice-like grip, his thumbs trailing over her palms as he waited for her to speak.

He watched a tear fall down her cheek, though he couldn't wipe it away, his hands were held by hers.

Harry pulled their joined hands up and placed a soft kiss on her fingers before rubbing wiping away her tear with his knuckle.

'You don't have to say anything; we can just stay here for a while if you like?' Harry whispered and another tear fell down her cheek.

She took a deep breath before meeting his gaze.

'Just as we were 'eaded to the Floo to leave Beauxbatons, it shut down.' She started, her voice faltering as her lip quivered.

'Gabrielle was in my arms when the school shook. I'd felt nothing like it before, it was like the world itself was shaking. I 'ad to pick up Gabrielle after she fell, Maman and Papa 'elped me stand after the school shook again.' She paused and Harry could see the terror that the memory brought to her mind.

'We 'eard something shatter, Papa said it was the wards and we ran out to the grounds, trying to get outside the new wards that Papa said they 'ad put up after destroying those that protected the school.' Harry felt her hands squeezing his, if she held on to him any tighter, she might break his hands.

'Once out on the grounds, we saw the front gate explode. The school itself is not as well defended as 'Ogwarts, but the gates were more than enough. Or that's what we thought.' She trailed off.

'A 'uge metal vehicle with armour plating covering it with a large cannon destroyed the gate.' She paused, looking at him for an explanation.

'That sounds like a tank, a sort of muggle war carriage I suppose.' He supplied, receiving a distracted nod in return.

'The… tank… destroyed the front gate, but a dozen more tanks rolled over the ruined gate and started firing at the school, the palace crumbled in minutes.' She was staring at their joined hands and he felt her trembling.

'Wizards and muggles surrounded the tanks, the muggles all wore clothes that helped them camouflage into their surroundings, it was 'ard to see 'ow many there were. But the wizards all wore different coloured robes, some wore Auror robes of Bulgaria, while others wore the uniform of Aurors from many other European countries, some were even French.' Harry reached forward and gathered her into his arms, and she clutched at him, like he was her lifeline at sea.

'There were 'undreds of Veela, most of them in their avian forms, directing the army. They must be somehow using their allure to control the army. But I didn't think it worked that way, Maman never mentioned it working like that.' She paused, taking a deep breath while almost sitting in his lap, burrowing into his chest, his arms wrapped tight around her body.

'Just before Papa 'ad weakened their anti Portkey wards enough to get us out of there, we saw the Veela Matriarch arrive. I 'ad met her a few years ago when I went to the Veela enclaves with Maman, she was a powerful woman before. But now, she barely resembled the kindly older woman I met after my _growth spurt_.' She paused with a hitch in her throat.

'She used to have great power, but it was controlled, like a tightly bound braid. But now, the Matriarch simply _oozed_ power and rage. The other Veela call her Titania, and she calls 'erself Morgan Le Fey. She is almost another woman entirely.' She clutched at him tighter.

'I feel the call 'Arry. I feel 'er power calling out to me, feel it pulling at me to join them and be by their side. But I don't want to 'Arry. I never want to be like them.' His arms tightened around her and they remained silent for a few minutes, Harry not wanting to see the look of fear on her face which he heard in her voice.

A few minutes later, Harry felt her calm down enough that it seemed safe to continue.

'It hasn't been much better over here, really. Voldemort is increasing the number of attacks he and his Death Eaters are doing, hitting a random place every night.' He paused, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head.

'Dumbledore and I fought Salazar Slytherin yesterday. He has somehow come back from the dead and gotten a new body, I suppose much like Morgana has.' Harry trailed off and he felt Fleur stiffen in his arms.

He watched in despair as she pulled away from him and her gaze met his. Her eyes were wide in fear.

Why was she afraid of what he had said?

'You fought alongside Dumbledore? Against one of the darkest wizards in your 'istory and you say it as though it is nothing?' she deadpanned, and Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise.

'I didn't help as much as I wanted to, I could keep up but not be particularly useful.' His gaze fell away from hers as he turned to look at the lake again, only to be pulled back to hers with a finger on his chin.

'You 'ave many secrets 'Arry. I will not push you to tell me, I just wish that you could trust me enough to share some of them.' She said, a soft smile on her lips and a deep sadness in her eyes that Harry didn't understand.

Harry took her hands in his, taking a deep breath.

'How's your occlumency?'

A look of surprise covered her face for a moment before she gave a quick smile.

'All Veela learn it in their youth, it helps to control the allure. Why do you ask? I am surprised you know of the skill?' she asked, and Harry gave her a wide smile.

'Because what I will tell you is known only to a very small group of people. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sirius and Remus. Are you sure you want to know?' he asked, and she cocked her head, narrowing her eyes for a moment before nodding.

'Okay, so it all started in the graveyard when Voldemort came back…' Harry started and spent the next hour explaining everything that had happened since the graveyard to his understanding.

He told her about his mental companions and their training, their past that was slowly being revealed and the enemy they came to combat.

* * *

The two sat staring at the waves on the lake for a few minutes after Harry's tale and he was getting nervous.

He wondered if she would be scared and pull away from him, he didn't want that to happen, but he couldn't think of any way that he could stop it. His thoughts rushed by so fast that he struggled to even acknowledge most of them.

Harry knew that he had feelings for Fleur, he had known since before his birthday when they had been conversing with letters. Sharing memories of their less than ideal pasts with each other and he had noticed his feelings growing ever more. But at his birthday, he had discovered that she was even better in person, not just because of her looks.

Her smile and the care she held in her eyes captivated him, then when they had met up in Diagon Alley he had noticed that even more so, between their rather romantic lunch and the kiss she had given him before she had left.

He didn't know if she would continue to feel the same, now that he had told her everything, he wondered if she would hold it against him that he hadn't told her until now.

Worry gnawed at him.

'Do you know how truly unique you are 'Arry?' she asked, breaking the contemplative silence with her head cocked and an amused grin. He stared at her for a moment as she lay back, propping herself with her hands.

'I'll do what I have to do to survive this mess.' He shrugged as she pushed forward, pulling him into an embrace.

She released him a minute later and they lay down on the grass next to each other, facing the sky and watching the clouds pass by. Harry held an arm around her shoulders as she sidled up next to him.

A kiss on his cheek pulled his gaze from the sky and he turned to meet her sapphire eyes.

He blinked, seeing her wearing a nervous expression for probably the first time since he had met her. He had seen her fear of the dragon in the first task and fear again in the second task. But never nervous. Harry cocked his head at her, and she rolled over onto his chest, giving him a view that he tried hard not to take advantage of.

'What do you know of Veela 'Arry?' she asked after taking a deep breath.

'Only what you've told me, why?' she frowned at his reply.

'You weren't interested enough to research?' she asked with a raised eyebrow and Harry chuckled.

'Unfortunately, the books I came across that talked about Veela often mentioned their _uses_. Not anything important or useful.' He said and she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.

Then she opened them, and Harry saw a glint of determination in them.

'You didn't come across anything regarding a Veela bonding then?' she asked, and Harry felt a shiver run through her as his hands lay on her back.

'I'm afraid not.' He admitted and used a hand to push a stray strand of silver hair from her face, earning him a smile.

'Veela, do not date like humans do. Understand that there are some among us who enjoy the lifestyle the wizarding world knows us for, but those Veela are not generally accepted in the community.' She paused and Harry gave her a soft smile and rubbed her back as she mastered her frustration, calming herself before continuing.

'As there are no male Veela, we will always choose a partner, always a Wizard and a part of that choosing is a bond being formed between the two's very magic. Veela are in fact a magical creature, so magic is intrinsic to us, if we lost our magic, we would die, unlike humans where you would become a squib in most cases.' She explained, her eyes searching his for understanding.

'I think I'm following you so far. Though I don't know why you're so nervous, this doesn't change how I feel.' He said and she gave a small smile before taking a deep breath.

'A Veela will always seek a powerful mate, one that will give her the strongest offspring. It is a natural trait, likely from our avian side.' She paused, blushing before she frowned and glared at him.

'My magic 'as chosen you 'Arry. I wish to bond myself with you. I have known of these bonds for most of my life though was always told that it is rare for a Veela's magic to chose another. Your immunity to the allure is prized enough in itself, your power adds to that. But the thing that has drawn me to you most is your compassion, your determination to succeed, even with everything arrayed against you.' She finished; her blush bright red as she searched his expression.

Harry moved one hand to cup her cheek and pulled her face down as he raised his, their lips met in the middle and the feelings rushing through him made him glad he was already laying down.

'It would be an honour and a pleasure to bond with you. Is there anything special I should do or say?' he asked, and he was rewarded by a beaming smile.

'You've already done it.'

Harry grinned up at her after another long kiss.

'I don't have any experience in this sort of thing, so please be gentle when I screw up and say or do something wrong.'

She kissed him again, a gentle kiss this time.

'Veela do not date 'Arry, I do not 'ave any experience in this either.' She reminded, then squealed as Harry wrapped his arms around her and rolled over so he was on top of her.

Fleur wrapped her legs around Harry and rolled them, so she was on top once more and they both were breathing heavily after the brief contest.

They spent the next five minutes grinning at each other before a thought entered Harry's mind.

'Where are your parents and Gabrielle?' Fleur burrowed into his chest a little.

'They are up at the castle, settling into our rooms. The deputy headmistress, McGonagall had sorted out the details and we have been given a suite to stay in.' she trailed off before pulling her head up from his chest.

'Gabrielle will be annoyed with me.' She murmured and Harry cocked his head.

'Why?' Fleur looked down at him with a playful grin on her face.

'Because she always wanted to marry the Boy-Who-Lived.'

Harry snorted.

'The Boy-Who-Lived doesn't exist.'

Fleur smirked at him as she leaned over him.

'I don't agree, the Boy-Who-Lived once existed, but the man he became is much better.' She purred before kissing him.

When she pulled away Harry blinked, having lost track of what he was thinking.

'What was I saying?' he asked with a goofy grin.

Fleur gave her musical laugh and leant down once more to kiss him.

'At least I have some power over you, even if it doesn't come from the allure.' She remarked with a grin.

Fleur pulled back from him onto her knees and Harry pouted at her.

'Come along 'Arry, it's getting dark.' She smiled down at him, offering a hand that he took.

Her expression brightened as she wrapped her arms around him now, they were both standing.

'So 'Arry, do you want to meet my parents? They would love to meet you.' she asked, not bothering to hide her grin as he paled, visible even in the darkening sky.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Harry followed Fleur into a suite of rooms on the sixth floor. They weren't near anything else of interest, almost buried within abandoned classrooms and guest rooms that to Harry's understanding were never used. He remembered the corridors from the marauders map but couldn't recall any important rooms nearby. The suite was located toward the centre of the castle, so in theory was one of the most well defended areas, Harry hadn't thought of that until Arthur had mentioned it as they moved through the abandoned corridors.

Fleur knocked on the door to the suite once before opening it to reveal a decent sized apartment, they entered a lounge room with two doors on the opposite side, presumably to bedrooms and another door to the left of the room, which led to the bathroom. To the right of the apartment was a small dining table with chairs around it.

As they entered Harry saw Gabrielle laying on the couch with red puffy eyes as she cried. At the dining table sat who Harry assumed were Fleur's parents, a gorgeous silver haired woman in blue robes who must be Fleur's mother and an older man with streaks of grey in his hair who wore a dirty and torn suit that looked to be somewhere between muggle and wizard in design.

Harry touched Fleur's shoulder and pointed at himself then to Gabrielle, raising his eyebrows in question and Fleur smiled with a nod before turning to move toward her parents.

Harry moved across the room to kneel before the young Veela who lay in the foetal position on the couch, quiet sobs escaping her. He brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

'_Place a kiss on her forehead young one.'_ Godric recommended, being the only one of his mental companions that had any children, Harry was happy to follow his advice.

Harry kissed Gabrielle's forehead as he ran a hand through her hair and her red-rimmed eyes opened to see Harry and they grew wide as he smiled down at her. Fresh tears escaped her as she burst into tears, leaping off the couch toward him.

He caught her in his arms and held her tight, he glanced toward Fleur who also had tears in her eyes, but she didn't seem sad. Harry ran his hand through Gabrielle's silver hair and whispered.

'Hush, it's all right little Angel. It will be all right, you're not alone and you're safe. I will never let anyone hurt you.' he rocked her back and forth, not knowing what to do.

Gabrielle clung to him for ten minutes before her sobs faded and she pulled back, her eyes still red, but no longer holding any tears.

'I am sorry, 'Arry.' She murmured in heavily accented English.

Harry smiled down at the young Veela and planted another kiss on her forehead.

'_I will gladly be a shoulder to cry on whenever you need it.'_ He whispered in French, though he was sure he had done a horrible job, possibly even saying the wrong thing.

She beamed up at him before wrapping her arms around his shoulders and planted a wet kiss on his cheek and a hug before blushing beet red and running to her father who scooped her up with a chuckle and carried her into her bedroom.

Harry watched them leave before turning to face Fleur who stood beside her mother, they looked more like sisters than mother and daughter and Harry made his way over to join them.

'_Young Harry, flatter the mother.'_ Arthur ordered and Harry gave an internal shrug, not having a clue how to flatter someone he knew next to nothing about. Fleur had told him about her parents in their letters, but not enough to know what to say in this situation.

When Harry reached the two Veela he bowed low before Fleur's mother and took her hands in his, kissing them before releasing them and standing straight.

'Fleur never told me she had an older sister.' He said and Fleur's mother laughed, it was the same musical laugh that Fleur had.

'You shouldn't try to make my daughter jealous young man.' She replied and Harry's gaze moved to Fleur who held a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.

He beamed at her.

Fleur moved to stand beside Harry and took his hand in hers.

'Maman, this is 'Arry Potter, my bonded.'

Fleur's mother's eyes widened, and a wide grin covered her face.

'Well, Mister Harry Potter, I am glad to meet you. I am Apolline Delacour, Fleur's mother.'

She gestured to the chairs around the dining table.

'Take a seat.' She sat down and watched as the two teens took seats opposite her.

Once Harry and Fleur sat down Apolline smiled at Harry.

'Fleur has told me a great deal about you Harry and I figured it would only be a matter of time before I met you. But I must ask, what do you know about the bond you share with my daughter?' Harry gulped.

'Almost nothing mam, I was sure that Fleur would tell me more about it when she felt comfortable in doing so.'

The older Veela wore a brief expression of exasperation before it left her face, a kind smile taking its place a moment later.

'I'm sorry Harry, before you two bonded Fleur should have told you certain things. It must have slipped her mind in her excitement at seeing you again.' Apolline said and Harry noticed an edge to her voice, he hoped that he had done nothing wrong.

He felt Fleur take his hand and rest it on his lap under the table.

Apolline sighed before meeting Harry's gaze.

'Harry, Veela mate for life. You know that Veela are in fact magical creatures correct? Not simply humans with extra abilities?' she asked, a soft smile on her face at Harry's nod.

'As such, when a Veela bonds with someone it is her intention, in fact the purpose of the bond itself is to bind the two together for life.' She paused, watching him.

Harry nodded, then froze.

He felt Fleur's hand in his, squeezing him.

'Does that mean that we are married?' Harry gaped.

Apolline gave a musical laugh, her eyes twinkling at his pale face.

'No, you are not married. You are however, bonded for life. Fleur at the very least will never have another. While Veela mate for life, Wizards often do not.' Apolline explained with a weary sigh.

Harry narrowed his eyes, his body tense as he squeezed Fleur's hand in his lap.

'I would never betray her.' Harry snarled, causing Fleur to stare at him in shock while Apolline jerked back with a gasp, her hand over her mouth.

'No, no you misunderstand Harry.' She said, her hands held up in front of her gesturing for calm.

'In the wizarding world, Veela are often treated as second-class citizens at best, and as such a wizard, when bonded to a Veela will have her as a second wife or concubine.' Apolline said, watching the anger rising in Harry's eyes.

Harry's jaw clenched and he held back his temper, only because of his occlumency barriers.

'I would never behave like that.' He began, feeling Fleur squeeze his hand under the table.

'Those laws are wrong.' His body was taught, like a compressed spring, and he could feel his magic itching to escape him.

Apolline held a hand out onto the table between them and Fleur moved their joined hands up onto the table joining their three hands together.

Harry felt Apolline's eyes on him and he crushed his anger, letting out a heavy breath before meeting her ice-blue eyes.

'Veela almost always have female children. These young girls will grow and develop their Veela powers during puberty. Any male children, while exceptionally rare, will not carry the Veela traits, they will be normal wizards.' She started and Harry nodded his understanding.

'The law was put in place so that Veela could be with the one they loved, while allowing the wizard to continue his family line with a witch. Family lines being passed down the male children.' She finished and Harry stared at her in disbelief.

'In these relationships, the official wife, the witch was in reality the second wife, married so that the family line could continue, while the Veela was the one truly loved by the wizard.' She paused, looking deep into Harry's eyes.

'To my knowledge, you are the last of the Potter family line, an ancient family line. It is your duty to bring the Potter name back to prominence, and to do that you would need many children. This is something for which Veela rarely can accomplish.' She smiled at his confused frown, her gaze falling on Fleur for a moment before returning to Harry.

'Veela often only have one or two children, which is another reason why, traditionally a wizard would take another wife if bonded to a Veela.' She finished, her gaze softening as she watched his face as he considered what he heard.

Harry closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, he felt Fleur's hand squeeze his own and that of Apolline.

'Thank you for telling me these things.' he smiled at Apolline before his gaze fell to the table, to their joined hands.

'But I will not be taking another wife. I hadn't even really thought of marriage at all until now. But I would not do that to Fleur.' He turned to smile at Fleur whose sparkling sapphire eyes held unshed tears.

'If children become an issue, I am sure adoption will be an option. I don't have all the answers, or even thought of the questions yet. But I know who I am, and I will not change myself to fit in with society.' he declared, then jerked back in surprise as Apolline leapt from her chair to move beside his chair in a moment, enveloping him in a crushing hug before she kissed both his cheeks.

He felt a similar tug on his mind as Fleur's allure flare before it settled down as Apolline pulled away from the hug and pulled out a chair on Harry's other side from Fleur.

Harry glanced to Fleur and saw a tear slide down her cheek. He reached out to wipe it away and she held his hand, cupping her face, leaning into it.

He turned back to Apolline as she spoke.

'I am sorry for my outburst; It makes me so happy to hear how you feel. I am sorry I lost control for a moment, but apart from my husband I have never heard of a wizard forsaking tradition for a Veela.' Apolline dabbed the tears in her eyes away with a handkerchief taken from her robes.

Harry felt a gaze on him and glanced away from Apolline to see Fleur's father watching the scene with a grin on his face. The man moved to stand behind Apolline's chair.

'What did I miss?' he asked, his gaze on Apolline who was trying to wipe away her tears as she gave a soft laugh.

'This is Harry Potter, he and Fleur are bonded, and he is following in your footsteps dear.' Apolline explained and Harry stood from his chair, holding out a hand to Fleur's father.

'Harry Potter sir, an honour to meet you sir.' Harry introduced.

'I am Dominique Delacour, I am glad to finally meet the man who captured my daughter's heart.' Dominque smiled, ignoring Harry's hand and gathered him into a hug.

'Welcome to the family young man.' He smiled and Harry felt himself return the smile as Fleur stood beside him.

Dominique chuckled, drawing the gaze of the other three.

'Poor Gaby will be crushed, now that she won't be able to marry Harry.'

Harry blushed, regardless of his efforts to stop it.


	24. Chapter 24 - Arthur's History Part 3

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 24: Arthur's History Pt 3.**

Harry stood at the edge of a forest, as Arthur stood beside him in his mindscape. Together, they stood watching the walls of Camelot, the squat fortress stood as if ready to weather any storm.

'Young Harry, we have another memory to go through that I feel will benefit you. Then we will return to developing your swordsmanship and strategy.' Arthur remarked and Harry nodded.

'Are we ever going to find a way to make these memories less, uncomfortable?' Harry asked and Arthur chuckled.

'Probably not, but there aren't too many more to go through. At least this will be the last from me. You'll understand why at the end of the memory.' Arthur wore a grim smile before he forced a bright grin on his face.

'This memory takes place at the end of the war between Mordred and Camelot, everything rested on the outcome of this battle. This battle was the culmination of years of strategy, on paper he should have won the war years before. But I was able to goad him into unfavourable battles, forcing him to expend massive numbers of his armies for relatively small gains.' Arthur explained, his eyes not on their surroundings.

'The best I could hope for was what happened, Camelot was outnumbered and overpowered. Thanks to Guinevere betraying me, Mordred held the loyalty of many of my vassal Kingdoms. In short, it was an unwinnable war. This battle was my last chance to finish the war.' Arthur trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

'Which battle was it?' Harry asked, cocking his head.

'The battle of Camlann.' Arthur whispered before Harry felt lightheaded and let out a groan as darkness filled his vision and he knew no more.

* * *

Arthur stood before his throne, a retainer putting on his armour. Beside him stood Merlin, with a sombre expression.

'My King, Mordred is on his way. Our agents inform us that his army will stop at Camlann in two days to rest before beginning their siege on Camelot.' Merlin bowed his head, his jaw clenched beneath his beard.

'Merlin, my old friend. Do not despair. I and my knights will ride out to meet Mordred. I am sure that we ride to our doom. But we cannot allow Mordred to rule this Kingdom, he will destroy all that we have created.' Arthur coughed as his retainer tightened his armour a little too tight.

'We will meet them in Camlann my old friend. There, Lancelot can redeem his honour and I can stop Mordred. I only ask that you look out for my sister when you can.' Arthur murmured while Merlin nodded.

'As you wish my King. I will remain and direct your sister to you. I am sorry that I can do no more to aid you.'

Arthur laughed, rich and deep from his chest.

'My old friend, there is no more I could ask of you. You have done more than any other. Now, if this battle goes ill, seal this castle and its lands from view. I will not have Camelot used against the people of this land. That is my last wish.' Arthur said as his retainer finished with his armour, then handed Arthur his sword, Excalibur.

'Of course, my King, I will see it done.' Merlin murmured before Arthur embraced him.

'Farewell old friend.' Arthur whispered before turning and leaving the throne room, each stride echoing through the room and hallways.

* * *

Two days later Arthur stood upon his steed on a hill looking over the town of Camlann. He had set up his forces in ambush, waiting for Mordred's army to arrive. Arthur almost groaned as he saw a column of soldiers marching down the east road, the line of soldiers stretched into the horizon and Arthur knew at that moment that he would never see Camelot again.

The Goblins, at least a thousand strong led the line of soldiers. With a snort Arthur realised that Mordred was using them as fodder, he cared nothing for the Goblins, while the Goblins themselves believed that being in the front of any combat held the most honour.

Poor creatures.

Behind the Goblins strode dozens of Trolls, each bound in chains held by the Goblin handlers that prodded them with wicked spears. It looked like they had gathered two entire Troll tribes for this final battle.

After the Trolls strode Mordred's Black Knights, men who Mordred had hand picked to be his personal Knights, much like Arthur's Knights of the Round Table.

Each of the Black Knights rode upon black armoured steeds and Arthur knew that each had powerful magic at their control. The Black Knights would likely be the most powerful foe barring Mordred in his whole army.

Behind the Black Knights rode Mordred himself, Arthur felt the dark magic coalescing around his nephew and his body tensed, drawing his own power to him in response to the darkness emanating from Mordred.

Behind Mordred strode thousands of soldiers, stretching into the horizon. Each of them wearing the black and red uniform of Mordred.

Arthur turned to see his remaining Knights behind him, some had fallen in previous battles while others were too injured to remain by his side. Bedivere, Bors, Caradoc, Constantine, Galahad, Gareth, Kay, Tristan and Owain all stood before Arthur. Their faces grim as they stared at Arthur, all knowing the fate they rode toward.

Lancelot stood near the group of Knights, but apart from them, ashamed of his weakness.

Arthur watched his Knights for a moment before nodding.

'My dear Knights. This is to be the final battle for many of us. We may die here, but know that if we do, we do so to bring freedom to this fair land. Long have we fought against the tyranny of Mordred.' He paused as wordless snarls echoed through his Knights at the name of their foe.

'We will fight his tyranny and bring peace to the land, even if the cost is our lives. Most of us have families, children who we leave behind. But that is who we are fighting for, so that they will live long and peaceful lives, free of the oppression that Mordred will bring them.' Arthur said, smiling as the grim expressions of his Knights became determined.

'Mordred has entered the trap, now it is time to spring it.' he smiled, and his Knights narrowed their eyes, nodding to him as they turned to ride back to their soldiers waiting behind them on the other side of the hill, hidden from Mordred's scouts.

They waited until the early hours of the next morning before unleashing their trap. While much of the enemy army was asleep or drunk, Arthur and his Knights led their ambushing army into the enemy force and carved a swathe through them, slaughtering the sleeping soldiers, the beasts and the Goblins.

Arthur strode toward the main tent where Mordred slept and with a wave of his hand the tent burst into flames, caught in an inferno that soared high in the sky, lighting up the battlefield.

Out of the flames strode Mordred, his skin glowing red from ritual tattoos as he shucked off a heavy cloak, flames guttering as it was trampled moments later.

Arthur held Excalibur before him, glowing blue against the firelight of the inferno devouring the camp.

'Uncle, I'm glad you have come to your death with honour, rather than hide in your dear Camelot. I would have hated to tear down those walls.' Mordred said, his voice a mask of civility covering boundless rage.

'Mordred, I don't know why you turned from me, but I will not let you destroy everything we all fought so long to build.' Arthur narrowed his eyes at his nephew and knew there was no more time for words.

Mordred moved with a furious grace toward Arthur, the sword Clarent in his hands.

Glowing blue met red as the two fought, each magically enhanced blow sending deafening booms across the battlefield.

Arthur gestured with his free hand to a fallen sword nearby which sped through the air toward Mordred who batted it away with ease with his own sword. Then the two were upon each other once more. Each strike sending crashing bow waves of force around them, sending lesser men sprawling to the ground.

As the sun rose hours later, the two fought on.

Their magic fuelled their bodies as they pushed themselves further than ever. But even magic had its limits. Fatigue slowed both men's movements, but neither was willing to fall to the other. Arthur's armour was dented and battered, covered in mud and blood, though whose blood it was he had no idea. It was likely a combination of his, Mordred's and a thousand other men who tried to interrupt the clash between two legendary warriors.

Their armies lay still around them, either having fled from the battle or fallen in service to their lords long before.

A lone figure strode toward the warring two, Lancelot.

Lancelot bore deep wounds across his body, his golden armour rent, and his sword chipped as the limping man strode toward them, bathed in the blood of his enemies.

Upon reaching Arthur and Mordred, Lancelot struck.

Only for Mordred to fling an arm toward the wounded man, a burst of unfocussed magic erupting from his open palm, tossing Lancelot through the air like a child's doll, until the battered knight rolled to a stop twenty metres away.

Arthur took the opportunity to strike a blow, piercing Mordred's heart with Excalibur. The glowing blue blade erupting from the mans back in a shower of blood. Mordred however, with a last burst of effort, swung his blade, leaving a cut on Arthur's arm before releasing Clarent from his blood slicked grasp.

Arthur withdrew Excalibur from Mordred's chest with a wet grating sound as Excalibur grated against Mordred's armour. The blue glow of Excalibur burnt away the blood from its length, leaving it pristine and looking like it had never been used.

Clarent clattered to the ground, forgotten as the tyrant coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered back a few steps, touching the wound in his chest with a gauntleted hand before lifting it to his face.

Mordred blinked at the blood on his gauntlet before coughing up another mouthful of blood and fell to his knees before Arthur.

Arthur heard his nephew try to speak, but all that came out was the sound of blood gurgling in his throat as he collapsed face first to the ground.

Arthur stepped back, away from the fallen Mordred before he collapsed to his knees. He looked at his arm and saw the wound had already blackened, tendrils of corruption spreading outward from the wound.

Agony tore through his consciousness, the searing pain spreading through his veins, originating from the small cut on his arm.

The burning pain was like fire in his blood and he screamed, but it did nothing to mask the agony creeping through him, along with the blackened corruption spreading from the wound like an evil web under his skin.

Blackness gathered around his eyes and he fell on his back, the corruption from Mordred's blade spreading through his body. In the distance he saw a woman running toward him, her black hair trailing behind her as she ran though fields of blood and bodies.

When she stopped beside him, tears filled her violet eyes.

'Morgana.' He croaked; his throat raw from the screams as his vision grew darker still.

Blackness overtook him.

* * *

He woke again on a stone altar. His body filled with agony as the corruption burned through veins.

'Dearest brother. You are in Avalon, Mordred's blade was coated in poison that your Queen created. The wound will not heal, not even by the magic I possess.' He heard Morgana say nearby, he couldn't move his head to see her, but knowing she was nearby was enough.

'Sister, I am glad to finally see you again. I am sorry it will not be for long.' He said, hearing a sob escape her as she moved into his vision.

'Arthur, I will avenge you, dearest brother. The world will burn, the Elves will pay for their treachery of the King of Britain. Dearest brother, I will return you to life in time.' Morgana whispered her vow in his ear before everything turned black.

* * *

Harry blinked and sat up on the forest floor in his mindscape, his hand rubbing his neck.

The scent of lavender entered his mind and he glanced around him, his gaze darting around his surroundings.

Seeing nothing, Harry stood and leaned against a tree and caught his breath.

''Arry?'


	25. Chapter 25 - Merlin's History Part 3

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 25: Merlin's History Pt 3.**

''Arry?' came a voice from behind him and he turned to see Fleur standing in the forest, her eyes wide.

'Fleur? How are you here?' Harry asked as he pushed himself from the tree and faced her, taking a step toward the silver-haired woman.

'Where is here?' Fleur asked, her gaze moving through the forest.

'What, what did I just see?'

Harry took Fleur's hands in his, kissing them.

'This is my mindscape. This is where I go when I fall asleep and get trained by Godric, Merlin and Arthur. Though how you are here, I don't know.'

'Wait, you said you saw that memory just before about Arthur and Mordred?' Harry asked, Fleur nodded, her eyes on the castle behind Harry.

'This is an interesting development Harry, welcome Fleur to Harry's mindscape.' Merlin greeted with an amused grin as he moved out from behind a nearby tree, causing the teens to face him.

Fleur's eyes widened as she realised who was speaking to them.

'M-Merlin?' she gaped as the ancient wizard chuckled.

'Yes, I am indeed Merlin. It seems Harry here was correct, I do seem to be rather popular, even so long after my death.' Merlin grinned, his eyes twinkling at the silver haired Veela.

'Now before we have a long discussion about this new development, I have a final memory to share.' Merlin said and Harry groaned, causing Fleur to turn and stare at him in surprise.

Harry felt himself grow lightheaded and Fleur clung to him for a moment before his world went dark.

* * *

Merlin stood outside the gates of Camelot, heaving a deep sigh. In his hands he held his gnarled staff that glowed white with power as he thrust it into the ground between his legs. The earth shook as the castle and any evidence of its existence disappeared, fading like an illusion in the light of day.

Heaving another sigh, Merlin turned from the now hidden Camelot and with a thought, a whisper soft crack ensued as Merlin disapparated.

Merlin reappeared at Avalon, an island amongst swamps, filled with apple trees. At the peak of Avalon stood an altar, leading to a tomb underneath the island. The Tomb was so large that it was almost the size of a city, held below the earth.

Avalon was the resting place of the Elves, filled with their dead from thousands of years. While the Elves were eternal, they still died in battle or from disease and Avalon was where they lay.

Standing before the Altar in front of the Tomb stood Morgana, tears staining her cheeks.

'Merlin? Why have you come?' she whispered, but it carried to him as if by magic.

Merlin closed his eyes, moving to her side.

'Morgana, you have lain Arthur to rest with the Elves? Why?' he asked, his hand half way to her shoulder, he paused at her narrowed eyes.

'My brother was the one true King of Britain, that includes the Elves, they reside on this island. They betrayed their king.' She snarled, violet eyes flashing in rage and Merlin stepped back and released a heavy sigh.

'What are you still doing here then?' he asked, and she deflated.

'I am studying. My brother has fallen, and I am now alone. I need to take my mind away from this pain. What else can I do?' she whispered as she wept, bitter tears fell from her cheeks onto a piece of parchment laying on the altar, held down by stones.

Merlin moved beside her and peered at the parchment. He cocked his head, his gaze darting between dozens of separate equations, each using different layers of arithmantic formulae.

'This is impressive. It is a curse is it not?' he asked, peering at the parchment closer.

'It doesn't have a target though, why not? You know it won't work without one.'

Morgana wiped her eyes.

'Of course I do. But this is a part of my self-study. I wanted to see if it could be done. I have no intention of using it, just occupying my mind.'

Merlin ran a hand over his face and sighed.

'Well, in that case.' He paused, indicating an equation at the top left of the parchment.

'This needs to differentiate the exact effects of the curse. What will the curse do?' he asked, turning his gaze to her violet one.

'It will change the target, creating two new species from a single one.' She murmured and Merlin smiled at her.

'Ambitious. But I am sure we can make it work.'

* * *

Years later, Merlin sat in a cave.

Beside him on a bed lay the love of his life, Nimue. She slept and he rose from the side of the bed in which he sat, moving to the mouth of the cave where Morgana stood, her black hair wild and her violet eyes flashing.

'Merlin, you will stay here. I cannot afford to have you interfere with my plans.'

Merlin glared at the once beautiful woman, now crazed.

'Morgana, please. Don't do this. You can't bring Arthur back, harming the Elves won't bring him back.' He met her wild gaze and saw only rage in it.

'Merlin, I will bring back my brother. But first I need to remove the Elves, how long did it take you to figure out they were the target of my curse?'

Merlin sighed.

'Too long. I should have realised immediately what your plans were. But I allowed myself to believe you would listen to me.'

'You always were so naïve Merlin. The Elves will be no more, their time on this island is finished, and if the curse works as I expect, they will no longer exist anywhere. They will no longer tear families apart for their petty gains.'

'Morgana. You are not the only one who has lost loved ones.'

'No Merlin, I am not. But I am the only one who can make them suffer for it.'

Merlin took a step toward the shimmering barrier between him and Morgana. But she raised a finger with a smirk.

'Stop, don't be hasty Merlin. If you leave this cave, or tamper with the barrier. Your innocent, beloved Nimue will die. The barrier will fall if you cross it and if it falls, she dies.' She grinned at him and Merlin narrowed his gaze.

'Morgana, please. Don't do this.'

Morgana flicked her wild hair and sent him a final grin.

'I'll see you soon my old flame.' She twisted and apparated away, leaving Merlin alone at the cave mouth, the urge to follow her was so strong.

But as he turned to stare at the sleeping Nimue, his chest grew tight.

He couldn't allow her to die.

* * *

A week later, Merlin stood at the mouth of the cave once more, inches away from the barrier.

There was nothing he could do, he had examined the barrier, finding no fault in its construction. It was simple, and in its simplicity it was unbreakable. If he crossed the barrier, it broke. If he removed the barrier or otherwise tampered with it, it broke.

But if the barrier broke, Nimue would die.

He had spent the last three days beside the barrier, trying to get around it. It was simplicity itself to escape this prison, using his power he could destroy the entire mountain the cave was a part of. But the consequence would be her death.

He would not allow that to happen.

And so, he tried to find a way.

A soft crack announced an arrival at the cave and a moment later, Morgana stepped into view. She shone with pride and her beaming smile terrified Merlin.

'It is done.'

Merlin paled.

'You…'

She grinned at his expression.

'The Elves are no more, they are no longer masters of the world, subject to nothing but their own whims.'

Her grin turned savage.

'They have been transformed, most of them are now a wretched form of life, doomed to forever serve humans. I have called these pathetic wretches, _House Elves._' She purred and Merlin sat down on the cave floor, unable to wrap his mind around his failure.

'But not all the Elves are these wretches, dear Merlin. The most powerful of the Elves will serve me for eternity, I of course chose none of the filthy males from among their number.' She wore a predatory grin.

'No, the second form I changed the Elves into will forever be beautiful, will forever dominate the minds of men and will serve me for all time. I call them, _Veela.'_

* * *

Harry woke in the forest of his mindscape with Fleur beside him, she clung to him as a lifeline.

''Arry, what was that? Is that true?' Fleur asked, her eyes filled with tears as Harry looked up to Merlin who stood a few metres away.

'Merlin? Morgana created the Veela?' he asked, and Merlin bowed his head.

'To my eternal shame, yes. I chose the life of one woman over an entire species, and I would likely do it again.'


	26. Chapter 26 - Awakening

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, except maybe the genesis of the Veela, I dunno I haven't seen it anywhere else before.

**Chapter 26: Awakening.**

'The Veela were created by a curse?' Fleur gaped at Merlin who nodded, his gaze not leaving the forest floor.

'A curse you helped to create?' she continued, her voice low and Harry watched as Merlin only gave another nod in response.

Harry felt the air around Fleur warm up as she released his hand and took a step toward Merlin.

'Fleur…' Harry said, reaching toward her, but stopping as he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Harry felt hands on his shoulders, and he turned to see Godric on his left and Arthur on his right.

They both wore smiles as they looked down at him before shaking their heads, Harry cocked his head before turning to watch Fleur and Merlin.

Fleur strode toward Merlin, stopping in front of him and Harry could feel the heat radiating from her even from metres away.

'Thank you.' She said as she gave the ancient wizard a hug.

Merlin froze, looking at her in horror.

'What?'

Fleur pulled away, tears in her eyes.

'I never knew how the Veela were created, there are legends yes, but nothing ever concrete. But now I know, and I can share it with my people. Our origins.' She whispered and Merlin's eyes widened.

'You? You're a Veela? Wait. We have much to discuss. But most importantly.' He paused, looking at both Fleur and Harry.

'How are you with us in Harry's mindscape? Harry? What did the two of you do today? You did something, otherwise the lovely young lady wouldn't be here.' Merlin asked, Harry could see his mind racing.

Harry and Fleur glanced at each other, shrugging. Harry could think of lots of things they did, but nothing that would explain something like this… except.

'We performed a Veela bond? Fleur bonded her magic to mine. Would that do it?' Harry asked and Fleur smiled at him.

Then Fleur noticed the two men with hands on Harry's shoulders and her eyes went wide. Harry groaned; he was horrible with introductions.

'Sorry Fleur. This is Godric Gryffindor, a founder of Hogwarts and one of my distant ancestors.' He gestured to his left, then to his right.

'And this is King Arthur Pendragon, to my knowledge I have no relation to him.' He grinned at the man who shook his head at Harry with a scowl on his face.

'And congratulations to the two of you. Bonded, very impressive.' Godric said with a smile, squeezing Harry's shoulder.

'I am unsure of the significance of this bond, but in any case, congratulations are in order I believe. I am glad to meet you young Fleur. Glad that we can talk to someone else of your era without having to go through Harry when doing so.' Arthur added with a smile.

Harry watched as Fleur worked to get over her shock at seeing the legendary figures all at once and moved toward her only for Merlin to interrupt.

'A Veela bond? Interesting. Very interesting. Now Fleur, can you please come with me? We need to have a chat.' Merlin motioned with an impatient gesture to follow him before he turned and moved away from the group.

Fleur frowned as she met Harry's gaze. He gave her a soft smile and a nod. She smiled and gave him a wink before running to catch up to the ancient wizard.

'Watch yourself old man.' Harry called and Merlin froze for a moment before shaking his head and continuing.

Harry turned to see Godric and Arthur hiding chuckles behind their hands.

Grinning, Harry raised an eyebrow at the two bearded men.

'So, what tortures have you two concocted for me this evening?'

Matching grins crossed the two men's faces.

'Funny you should ask my boy.' Godric smiled.

* * *

Hours later, Harry lay battered on the ground in a pool of his own blood and pain felt like his closest companion.

A long sword lay just out of reach of his hand, his fingers too numb to feel the hilt anymore. In front of him stood Godric, his jewel encrusted sword in his hand, glistening in the light filtering through the forest canopy.

To Godric's side stood Arthur, Excalibur in his hand. Both men had a handful of scrapes and would have bruises the next day if they were alive.

'You are doing well young one. But there is room for improvement.' Godric said with a soft smile.

Harry pushed himself to his feet with a supreme effort. It felt like he was pushing a mountain away from him and as he got to his feet, he swayed for a moment before steadying himself, his long sword clutched in unfeeling fingers as he held it up in front of him in a defensive posture.

He let out a breath as his two mentors released their swords, each legendary weapon fading away into mist. Harry relaxed and let his own sword fade away. Then Godric drew his wands and with a groan, Harry leapt to the side, landing in a roll and drawing his wands as he stood.

His body screamed at him, but he wouldn't give in. The three stood in a triangle with one of them at each point. The spot he had been standing exploded in a blast of splinters and dirt as a curse from Godric obliterated a log, leaving a small crater.

Harry leapt to the side once more, avoiding another blasting curse and a burst of flames from Arthur's hands. With one hand, Harry shielded against the spells coming at him from his two opponents, while the other was used to alternately shield and attack.

Not a word was said by any of the three and they created a clearing in the forest with their spell fire.

Knowing that he couldn't beat the two of them in a drawn-out combat, Harry rushed toward Arthur, of his opponents the King of Britain was the less magically powerful. But because of him using Excalibur, that difference in threat level was minimal.

Harry fired stunners and body binds and whatever else came to mind that would end the battle, using both wands, and overwhelmed Arthur's wandless shields. Harry was forced to dodge Godric's precision spells rather than shield them as he turned all his magic to overpowering Arthur.

Arthur grinned at Harry and drew Excalibur from the air and rushed to meet Harry. The King used Excalibur one handed and wandless bursts of flame and frost with his other hand while Harry dodged around Excalibur and shielded against Godric and Arthur's spells.

Now that Harry was up close with Arthur, he tried to keep Arthur between Godric and himself, with limited success.

Harry hit Arthur with a banishing spell from both wands, sending him flying, crashing through a burnt-out tree.

With a grin, Harry turned his wands on Godric, leaving his back to the fallen Arthur and fired Battle Magic blasters and piercers at Godric, tearing through the founder's shields.

Godric darted to the side and fired a torrent of spells at Harry who alternated between batting them away, shielding them or dodging them.

Harry's body screamed in pain, but he was used to pain. He'd lived with it his whole life and had long since lost his aversion to it.

Harry responded with his own stream of spells against Godric creating a multicoloured, flashing stream of light interspersed with shields and the odd spell deflected away from them.

He felt a rough force on the back of his legs, forcing him to his knees before the cold glowing blue blade of Excalibur lay resting against his throat.

With a sigh, Harry dropped his wands with his arms out wide.

A slow clapping could be heard from the edge of the clearing they had created as Merlin entered the smoking clearing with Fleur beside him, her eyes wide in awe.

Merlin continued to clap as Fleur rushed to kneel in front of him.

'Are you okay 'Arry?' she asked, concern in her eyes, alongside pride.

'Yeah, though I can't believe I made such a simple mistake.' Harry said, struggling to stand.

Fleur held one of his arms over her shoulder and gave him a smile.

'What mistake?' she asked, and Harry gave a rueful grin, before meeting Arthur and Godric's gazes.

'I took my attention away from a foe that wasn't dead.' He said and Fleur stared at him.

'Well, you know what I mean, maybe incapacitated is a better term in this setting.' Harry admitted with a groan.

'Harry, you are getting better every time.' Arthur smiled and Godric nodded beside him.

'I agree young one, I am proud of what you have achieved.'

Harry leant on Fleur as they moved to sit on a fallen log while his mentors watched him be fussed over by Fleur, smiles on their faces. She hugged him once he had sat down.

'Ouch.' He groaned as she inadvertently touched a sore spot, she pulled away with a gasp.

'Oh, I am so sorry.' But he took hold of her and held her close to him.

'Ouch.' He murmured, drawing it out as he tightened his grip.

'Harry, your training in Grand Sorcery will be put on hold for the time being. I will train Fleur. It seems the curse that created the Veela had an unintended side effect. I can awaken her Veela powers fully, which should assist the two of you in the coming conflict.' Merlin said, watching the two teens as they pulled apart with reluctance before they both met his gaze.

Harry looked into Merlin's eyes.

'Merlin, your memory showed you working with Morgana on the curse. How much did you work with her on it?'

Merlin closed his eyes, breaking contact with Harry before looking to the ground.

'To my disgrace, we worked on Grand Curses together out of academic interest, as you saw. But you must understand, she was my apprentice. In those days, that was the only way to learn magic.' Merlin sighed before meeting Harry's gaze once more.

'As my apprentice, she was to learn everything I knew, to pass along that knowledge. Yes, we became lovers after a time, but our relationship was rocky.' He paused, running a hand through his beard.

'She would disappear for years at a time, before coming back and acting as though we hadn't parted with spell fire, we fell back into a toxic relationship.' He waved a hand and a chair appeared behind him that he sank into.

'It was difficult after she left to remove Guinevere from Camelot. She knew that Guinevere didn't have Arthur's best interests at heart, but I knew the Elves had Guinevere under their protection. I didn't know it at the time, but Guinevere's role was to tear apart the kingdom from the inside. Which happened when she left with Lancelot, then Mordred after him.' Merlin sighed, turning to face Arthur who wore a soft smile on his face.

'I do not hold you responsible old friend. You did what you could, I could ask for nothing more.' Arthur nodded before turning back to Harry.

Harry looked between the two men, holding Fleur's hand in his.

'So, what did you do?'

Merlin sighed.

'I told the Elves about Morgana's plans. That she would remove Guinevere from Camelot, I couldn't fight my own apprentice without dissolving the Master-Apprentice bond.'

'The Elves thwarted her plans and captured her for years, the next time I saw her was the day Arthur died, which you saw the memory of.' Merlin stroked his beard with a thoughtful expression on his face.

'Then, at Avalon we started our work on Grand Curses, they are one of the most difficult pieces of magic ever conceived and so I believed that she wanted to distract herself from her grief with a near impossible task.' His hand stilled in his beard as his eyes stared off into the distance.

'After we had completed the curse, she asked how the magic of the Elves differed from that of humans. It was then that I realised her plan. But the curse was complete, it would hold true for the rest of time, only needing a target.' He sighed and Harry saw the pain in his eyes, the unshed tears.

'Upon discovery, she fled with the designs of the curse. She must have acquired the final part of the curse soon after that, because she lay my trap, the cave with Nimue.' He trailed off and Harry cocked his head.

'What was the final part?' Harry asked and Merlin jerked back in surprise, forgetting he had an audience.

'Why, an experimental subject. She needed an Elf to practice the curse on, an Elf's blood to use as the target.' Merlin answered with a shake of his head.

'You mentioned the trap with Nimue, when did you fall in love with her?' Fleur asked, one of the first times she had spoken up in the presence of the historical figures around them.

'Yes flower. I fell in love with Nimue while Morgana was imprisoned by the Elves, I met her in my many travels around the kingdom. Nimue was everything that Morgana was not. She was kind and wise, gentle and compassionate. She was patient with me, which after my long years is what I needed.' Merlin explained with a small smile on his face.

'Morgana had captured Nimue, how she learnt about her, I likely will never know. But she captured her and trapped her in the cave. She layered the cave with traps, wards and all the other spells she could think of. But the one I couldn't break was the one she put on Nimue. If either of us left the cave, Nimue would die.' Merlin sighed.

'That was something I could not do. So, we stayed in the cave until the day we died, living a full, if reclusive life.' Merlin stared into space for a minute before turning his gaze on the teens.

'Morgana trapped me in the cave to stop me from preventing her curse. So, when I failed to prevent it, she brought low the mighty Elves, once great protectors of our world. Turning them into the house-elves and the Veela, depending on the level of magic power they held as Elves.' Merlin met Fleurs gaze.

'I am glad to have met you, young flower. I believe that I now see a way for Harry to win his fight. With you by his side, you will succeed.' Merlin smiled at the shocked Veela.

Harry stared at Merlin while Fleur's hand tightened around his.

'How?' she asked.

Merlin smiled at Fleur.

'Your Veela power is drawn from the Elves of old, their power dwarfed my own. Now you may not be able to tap into all their power, but I believe I know a few ways that would allow you to use a significant portion of the Elves power.' He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face.

'You will probably match Harry's brute power, which is similar to my own, though I do hope you'll have more finesse than either of us.' Merlin grinned.

Harry stared at the ancient wizard seated before him.

'You really think I'm as strong as you?' he gaped, and Merlin laughed while stroking his beard.

'No, not yet in any case. But when your training is complete, then you will be more powerful than I ever was. Remember, you also these two to learn from.' The long-bearded man gestured to Arthur and Godric standing behind him wearing smiles as they watched Harry.

'Learn everything you can from us, and you will hold a power far beyond any living wizard, or any dead one for that matter.'


	27. Chapter 27 - Catharsis

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 27: Catharsis.**

Harry woke in his bed inside the Hall of the Brave, he had taken to staying at the hall since returning to Hogwarts rather than the Gryffindor common room. He could conduct his rituals with no interference, and he was slowly making his way through the books in the library held inside the hall.

Godric knew most of the information in the books but, a person forgot a lot of knowledge over the years.

Especially when they had been dead for a thousand years.

After a quick shower and changing into his exercise clothes, he disillusioned himself and begun his morning workout routine, Sirius had stopped being able to keep up with Harry and so joined him halfway through most of the time.

By the time Harry made it down to the lake to begin his run, his mind turned to Fleur. Wondering how she joined him in his mindscape, hoping that she wasn't too freaked out by the whole thing.

The next hour saw Harry finish his morning exercise just as the sun started to rise over the distant mountains and Harry wondered why Sirius hadn't joined him but shrugged it off. His Godfather didn't always join him, and Harry was sure he had his reasons.

By the time he arrived at the final corner of the lake where he would normally branch off to return to the castle, he saw Fleur sitting on the grass beside the lake staring off into the distance.

Slowing down to let his body cool off, Harry turned to move toward her and within moments sat next to her with nary a sound.

'Good morning Fleur.' He greeted, a slight worry nagging at him as she stared out across the lake, its surface golden in the sunrise.

'Fleur?' he asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.

She started, blinking and staring at him for a moment.

'I had the strangest dream.' She started, her eyes wide, before turning away from him and continued staring at the lake.

'If your dream involved talking to Godric Gryffindor, King Arthur and Merlin, and myself then it wasn't a dream.' He supplied with a small grin, before shrugging.

'Well it was, but it was real too, if that makes sense.' He hedged and she turned back to him, a wry grin on her face.

'You don't do things small do you?' she asked, overwhelmed.

He grinned at her with a slight chuckle.

'If something's going to happen to Harry Potter, it'll be something big.' He smirked before going silent, staring out at the golden lake.

Fleur noticed his shift in mood and cocked her head.

''Arry? What is wrong?' she asked, he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

'Just this once, I wish I could have a quiet year at Hogwarts. I just want to be a normal kid, not have to think about saving the world.' He said, voice little more than a whisper.

Fleur bumped her shoulder against his, a smile on her face.

'If you were a normal kid, do you think you would be bonded to a Veela?' she asked, Harry grinned at her tone, expressing how much of an honour that truly was. A normal person could mistake it for arrogance, but Harry knew it went far deeper than that.

He gave her a grin.

'You're right, I suppose thinking that way is silly.'

They sat together in silence for a few minutes, basking in the fresh sunlight and in each other, just enjoying the view.

'Fleur, I…' he started, but stopped, not knowing how to continue.

He felt her hand on his and turned to meet her sapphire gaze, she smiled at him and he felt his fears fade. Swallowing, he steeled himself.

'Fleur, I mentioned in my letters over the summer about my childhood, but never anything more than it was unpleasant. I need to-' he paused, searching for the right words.

She didn't rush him, only smiled at him with something unidentifiable in her eyes.

'As you know, my parents died when I was little more than one-year-old. When they did, Dumbledore sent me away to the only blood relatives I had left, my mother's sister and her family. They were muggles. I didn't know of the magical world until I received my Hogwarts letter on my eleventh birthday.' He began, the words coming with difficulty from his mouth, he had never told anyone his past.

But it was important to him, he'd been thinking about it for the last few weeks. He knew he needed something in his life, something he didn't have already. Harry knew there was something missing and he knew it was important. But he couldn't figure out what it was. Godric and the others only laughed at him when he asked about it and told him that he would learn in time.

Since getting to know Fleur, something about spending time with her felt _right_. His magic seemed more alive in her presence, like it revelled in her presence. Giving a mental shrug he took a deep breath and continued his story.

The emotion in her sapphire eyes, watching him, soothed him and would have put a smile on his face if not for the heavy topic.

'My earliest memory is of a green flash and a screaming woman. I never knew what that meant until I came across Dementors in my third year. When they forced me to relive the memory that had been buried deep in my mind of Voldemort breaking into my home and killing my parents.' He halted, using occlumency to steady his emotions.

'Every single time I am near a Dementor I see that memory.' Fleur gasped, squeezing his hands with tears pooling in her eyes.

'I was just over six when my relatives had me cook for them, they found me a stool I used to reach the bench. I would cook every morning and most evenings. In the beginning I was beaten every time the food I made wasn't up to their standard, but it wasn't long before I was making food better than my aunt.' Fleur held his hand in her lap with one hand while the other clung to his arm as tears flowed down her face.

'The beatings happened for as long as I can remember, ever since I was small. Any infraction, no matter how small or even if it wasn't my fault, and my uncle and cousin would beat me.' He trailed off, removing his hand from her and turning his back to her.

He peeled off the sweaty exercise shirt he wore, tossing it to the grass beside them. Her gasp told him his scars were more than she had imagined.

All over his back was crisscrossed scar tissue, leaving almost no clear skin visible under all the scars, some were larger than others.

Over his heart was a large Christian cross covering most of his left shoulder. On his lower back the word '_freak_' was carved into his skin a dozen times.

He felt her fingers trail over his scars, her touch was gentle, and her hand shook as she roamed over his back, touching every scar. Her feather light touch examined a scar he had received after he had been running from Dudley and his gang at school and used accidental magic to apparate onto the roof to escape them.

With every scar she touched, he told her the corresponding story. The events that led to the mark on his body.

She touched the long scars that went across his back and he explained how they had come from when he had spoken to a Boa Constrictor at the Zoo when he was ten, he had subsequently released the snake with accidental magic.

Those scars had been given to him when Vernon pinned him to the floor in the kitchen, removed his belt and whipped him with the buckle end for an hour after they had returned from the Zoo.

She touched a series of scars that started on his shoulders and travelled down to his lower back. He explained that those had come from when Aunt Petunia had cut his hair and it looked so horrible, he had cried, he was locked in the cupboard under the stairs and the next day his hair was back to normal.

Uncle Vernon had taken a thick stem of a rose bush from the back yard and whipped him with it for hours, until the stem had fallen apart, its thorns having ripped apart the skin on his back.

''Arry. What they did to you is 'orrible. Did nobody do anything to stop it?' she asked, and though he couldn't see her, he could hear the tears in her voice. Her hand trailed back up to the cross above his heart.

'No, a teacher in my muggle primary school tried to help me when I told her. She told the police and the officer that came to investigate was a friend of my uncle. They just spend the night drinking together. My teacher was fired soon after that, my uncle played poker with the Principal of my school.' Harry explained, his voice low and filled with the pain.

'Oh 'Arry.' She sobbed and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. Her fingers touching the scars on his chest and stomach but ignoring them for the moment in her attempt to reassure him.

Harry took a deep breath, calming his emotions.

'The cross was from when I was eight. The Dursleys hired an exorcist to _remove the devil from inside me._ Was what they said, the man came and strapped me down to a chair in the kitchen. He flicked water on me, chanted at me for hours and when that didn't work, he branded me with a red-hot cross he had been heating on the stove the entire time.' His dead voice said, no emotion in it at all.

'I can still smell the burning, even now, as they branded me.' He trailed off and she held him harder, her head on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his chest.

'When they weren't beating me for doing something wrong, they worked me in the yard on their prize-winning garden until my fingers bled.'

'After I had received my Hogwarts letter, they moved me into Dudley's second bedroom that had been filled with Dudley's broken toys and other unwanted things. But until then I lived in the cupboard under the stairs, I don't think I would even fit in that space now, let alone be able to live in it.' He mused, his occlumency working to detach himself from the emotions wound tight within the memories.

'When they beat me, my aunt would just watch as my uncle and cousin would do as they would until they stopped. Only for my aunt to scream at me for having the _temerity_ to bleed on the freshly cleaned floors. Floors that I had cleaned earlier that day and would clean immediately after my beating, unless I wanted more.' Tears were flowing down Harry's face, and likely had been for some time, but he was only now noticing, as they fell from his face onto Fleur's arms.

'Once I left for Hogwarts, I thought I would be safe. But I wasn't. I'll tell you about that later, but for now we'll just go back to the Dursleys. When I returned to my relatives after my first year, they starved me, giving me stale bread and a tin of tomato soup for the day. The beatings were more severe, I guess to make up for me being gone for most of the year. They locked me in my room, only letting me out to use the bathroom, to cook for them, do my chores which meant working in the garden and cleaning the house, but if I wasn't doing that, I was locked in my room.' He sighed.

'For the first eleven years of my life, I was alone. With no one to talk to, no friends because Dudley would hurt them if they tried. Dudley got a puppy one year for his birthday, but it bonded with me and wouldn't go near him. Vernon broke its neck in front of me before tossing it in the bin.' Harry felt Fleur tense around him.

'The beating I got when I took the puppy out to bury it in the back yard was worth it. That dog had been the first thing I remembered that loved me and because of its love, they killed it.' His occlumency was reaching its limit, he knew he couldn't take much more emotions before he broke, but he needed to tell her everything.

'I had no positive reinforcement, I didn't know my name until I went to primary school, I thought my name was _freak_. My first hug was from Hermione at the end of my first year. I had never been kissed, until you. I had never even held hands, until you.' Harry felt Fleur sobbing into his back as he spoke and felt something in his chest, though he didn't know what it was.

But he knew he never wanted to hear her cry, never wanted to cause her tears ever again.

Harry moved his hands to cover Fleur's and held them against his bare chest for a moment before removing them. He separated her hands and turned around to face her, his hands holding hers and their eyes gazing into each other.

''Arry, I.' she started but stopped as he gave her a smile and a shake of his head.

'Fleur, I've always dreamed of someone entering my life who could understand me, ever since I was little. Back then I wanted someone to rescue me, take me away from that nightmare. But once I was introduced to the Magical world, it changed.' He paused, his eyes never leaving hers and he saw something in her eyes that he couldn't place.

'I found out about the whole Boy-Who-Lived rubbish and quickly found that nobody cared about me, they just wanted _Harry Potter_. What I was searching for changed, I then looked for somebody, anybody who could understand _me_. But even after four years in Hogwarts, I couldn't find anybody.' He took a deep breath, his emotions were at breaking point, even with his occlumency keeping a grip on them.

'That was until you came to see me in the hospital wing. Then over the summer in our letters I felt like I got to know the real you, and I thought that maybe, just maybe you'd understand.' He trailed off, he felt her squeeze his hands.

'What of your friends 'Arry? 'Ermione and Ronald? You seem close to them?' she asked, and he sighed.

'They have been good friends, but they don't understand, they never could. I've tried over the years and while they have their hearts in the right place, they just don't get it.' His thumb ran along the back on her hand.

'I'm tired Fleur, tired of trying to be someone that I'm not. Tired of pretending for the sake of the Dursleys, for the Wizarding World. I want to be just Harry. Not Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.' He let out a breath and released one of Fleur's hands.

His fingers cupped her face which she leaned into and he wiped away the tears that trailed down her perfect cheeks.

Harry's eyes never leaving hers, and he could see the pain in her eyes.

'Fleur, I'm sorry that you bonded to me. I'm not good enough for you.' He let go of her hand and released her face, standing.

A hand grasped his own, pulling him back down to sit in front of her.

Her hand wiped the tears from his face, tears he didn't know he could still shed. He had learned early with the Dursleys not to cry, otherwise the beatings would be worse.

Fleur's hand cupped his face and pulled him toward her, pulling him into a kiss. Her soft lips silencing his thoughts as he considered how perfect they were. She pulled back, holding his hands in hers.

'I will not allow these _Dursleys_ was it? to harm you again. I have chosen you and that is the end of the matter.' She declared and he couldn't tear his gaze away from her sapphire blue eyes. The fierce expression she wore showed Harry she meant every word.

'From this day forth, we are a team and we will surpass every obstacle in our way.' She leant over to kiss him again, then wore a small grin as she pulled back.

'I too, had never been kissed before you 'Arry.' She pulled back with her gaze locked on his.

Harry saw her look tense for a moment before she sighed.

'Oh 'Arry…' she paused before taking a breath to continue.

'For a Veela, puberty is a difficult time. Before puberty we are the same as any other human girl, but we do not mature or grow between the ages of twelve to fifteen, we remain little children.' She stopped; Harry nodded as she watched him.

'But when we turn fifteen, changes occur. We quickly mature, over the period of a year, we grow into our Veela heritage, our allure coming out and must quickly control it. In that year, we grow into beautiful women, for all Veela are beautiful.' Harry watched as her expression turned haunted and it occurred to him that for Veela, their beauty was more of a curse.

'I was once the most popular girl at Beauxbatons, I come from a long, prestigious line and my father is the French Ambassador for the English Ministry of Magic. I am as close to royalty as Magical France has.' She explained, but her eyes still held pain.

'When the other girls started to mature, I did not due to my 'eritage. None of them wanted to be friends with me, who seemed destined to appear twelve years old while my year mates were trying to look and act like adults.' Harry saw the loneliness in her eyes and squeezed her hands in his.

'When I entered my fifth year though, I did not have control of my allure. My maturation had begun, and I was not ready. The girls in the school turned on me as their boyfriends or crushes ignored them, all wanting my attention, all clamouring for it.' The haunted expression appeared in her eyes once more and Harry dreaded what was coming.

'There were a few times…' she paused to take a deep rattling breath.

Harry tightened his hold on her hands.

'A few days into my fifth year, the group of seventh year boys cornered me in an empty classroom. They stopped me in the halls as I was hurrying to return to my dorm after a day of the girls which I once called friend, showering insults on me. I was alone because I had no friends left.' She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath.

'These boys dragged me into an empty classroom and threw me to the ground. There were six of them. The leader, a seventh year from a noble house told me that while he would never consider having a Veela for a wife, having one as a pet might be worth it, despite me not being human.' A tear fell down her cheek and Harry wiped it away with a thumb as he cupped her cheek with his hand. She latched onto his hand and burrowed into it.

'The leader tore off my clothes while his friends watched or held me down. I lay on the floor in my underwear while he started to remove his own.' Harry saw the horror in her eyes and wanted more than anything to stop her, but he also saw her determination so resolved to support her.

'Madame Maxime burst into the classroom at that stage and stunned the boys. They were expelled and since that day, she watched over and protected me.' She gave a soft smile that turned into one of fierce determination.

'Since that day, I have been determined to show the school and the world that my Veela powers weren't my true power. That I was better than them even without my 'eritage. So, by the end of my fifth year I was in the top of my year in all my classes, and duelling champion, having beaten the seventh years.' She wore an expression of pride at the memory before her eyes met Harry's again.

'I was attacked a handful of times in my sixth year, each time by greater numbers of boys. There were even some close calls when I was caught unaware. But by the time I went to 'Ogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, the boys could only look upon me, none dared try touch me.' She sighed before continuing.

'The girls however still whispered behind my back so wherever I was in the school, whispers followed me. Whispers of the many boys I had stolen from their partners to bed and discard as I saw fit. Whispers of 'orrible acts conducted with the male instructors of the school to ensure my grades were the top of the class.' Anger filled her face and Harry marvelled at how her features seemed to sharpen with the emotion.

'When we were chosen for the Tournament, I was initially disappointed to see that neither Krum nor Cedric could resist my passive allure. This made me rein it in, hide a part of myself, like it was dirty. But-' she stopped, giving Harry a beaming smile.

'But then such a _leetle boy_ became the _fourth_ Champion in the _Tri_wizard Tournament.' She grinned, to show she meant no harm by her words.

Harry chuckled, a wide grin on his face.

'How come nobody ever laughed when I made that same point?'

Fleur shook her head, her silver hair whipping around her face.

'I was shocked that a fourth-year boy was able to resist my allure, contained and passive as it was while the other Champions could not. Though I am sorry once more for my words that night, they are inexcusable.'

Harry squeezed her hands, pulling them up to kiss her knuckles.

'I wasn't in a particularly positive head space that night. If I was, I hope I would have said something in my defence, what with everyone insulting me. But I suppose I was still used to being insulted; I hadn't been back at Hogwarts long enough to lose the habit.' Fleur gripped his hands tight in her own and raised his fingers to her lips, kissing them with a wide smile on her face.

'Through each of the tasks, you showed exactly the sort of a man you were. And I truly mean that 'Arry, a man. Because not only could you resist my allure, at fourteen you were also competing with the best seventh years of the three best schools in Europe. Even in the second task you saved Gabrielle, who was not even your 'ostage to save.' She beamed at him and Harry flushed.

'Well, anyone else would-' he started before she darted forward, her lips silencing him.

'But that's just it 'Arry, they didn't. You waited for everyone else to arrive and save their 'ostages. You alone cared enough for the lives of strangers to wait until I failed to arrive. It was you alone who saved my sister when I could not.' Tears welled in her eyes, but did not fall, a bright smile showing her perfect teeth covered her face.

'It was that act, that utterly selfless act that made me think of you, not just as a man or as a rival. But as someone that I respect.' She paused, looking down at their hands and it struck Harry how similar they were.

Here was Fleur, who through her schooling only wanted a friend, an equal. Someone to understand her and could never find them. Then there was Harry himself who always looked for the very same thing.

His mind raced as he compared their lives and honestly did not know who had it worse, and it was that moment that Harry realised that Fleur truly was his equal, she alone out of all the people he had encountered could understand him.

Her voice broke through his thoughts as she continued, an unidentifiable glint in her eyes.

'After the third task, I could feel something different inside you, something broken. Veela are very in tune with emotions and I felt something was different. It was after you were taken to the 'ospital wing that I 'eard what happened to Cedric, what 'appened to you.' She paused, a shadow crossing her face.

'I knew for certain at that moment that regardless of age, you could never be mistaken for a boy again. That from that point onward, nothing would be the same.' She paused, the shadow leaving her face.

'Though I had no idea that you harboured legendary spirits within you.' She smiled and he chuckled, squeezing her hands.

'No, that was a surprise to me too.' He smiled, kissing her fingers while meeting her gaze.

Harry pulled her into a warm embrace, his head resting on her shoulder and let out a sigh. They remained in their silent embrace for a few minutes before Fleur pulled away.

Fleur looked at Harry, and he saw a spark of fear in them as her hands trailed down his arms to hold his hands once more.

''Arry, what is truly 'appening in the world? I know about the spirits inside you and your mindscape, but why are they there? Why are you so determined to grow stronger?' her words came slow and careful, like she was choosing them with care.

Harry squeezed her hands and gave a heavy sigh.

'Fleur…' he began, looking pained before nodding to himself.

'I told you yesterday about the enemies that the spirits inside me came to combat.' Harry started, pausing until she gave a short nod.

'Well one is Salazar Slytherin, like I told you yesterday. Dumbledore and I fought him off, so I don't know where he is right now. He is the enemy of Godric Gryffindor, another of the Hogwarts founders and you met him in my mindscape last night.' Harry explained, smiling at Fleur's nod.

'You know the next one, Morgan Le Fey which means Morgan of the Fairies.' He started and squeezed her hand as she grew pale.

'Yes 'Arry, tell me more of her please.' Fleur said, her voice shaking, but determined.

'Morgan Le Fey, or Morgana as she was known in life is the enemy that Merlin came back to defeat. You saw Merlin's memory of her last night, she loved her half-brother Arthur and it looks like she kind of went mad after he died, though she might have already been mostly mad before that though.' Harry paused, squeezing her hand before she gave him a soft smile and nodded to continue.

'Mordred is another enemy that came back from the underworld, I haven't seen him yet though. Arthur came back to stop him, as he did in life, though they ended up killing each other the first time, so it was more a draw.' He took a breath and ran a hand through his hair before holding hers once more.

'Voldemort is back after the third task and has been recruiting and attacking random places across the UK for reasons I don't know just yet.' He explained and she squeezed his hand in support.

It took him a moment before he realised why she did. He had been so focussed on his other enemies he had almost forgotten his own mortal enemy, the one who killed his parents and gave him his scar.

He sighed.

'Then Dumbledore tells me that Grindelwald has escaped Nurmengard.' Harry started before seeing her face grow pale. Then remembered that magical France suffered a great deal at the hands of Grindelwald, while the French knew of Voldemort, he was primarily a British problem.

But Grindelwald had been an international menace, almost bringing the wizarding world to its knees and into the light in front of the muggles.

'I don't know what's going on with Grindelwald, but Dumbledore says he's tracking his old foe. So I figure I'll help him once he needs it, until then I'll focus on the others.' Harry sighed and looked down at their joined hands.

'What can we do 'Arry?' Fleur stared at him, her face pale and guilt gnawed at him. He could see she was overwhelmed at the enemies they faced. Harry lifted their hands and kissed her fingers before giving her a lopsided grin and a shrug of his shoulders.

'The only thing we can do is try to prepare, to train and get more powerful.' He said with a determined flash in his eyes.

'I will fight these enemies, and while it feels strange at the moment, I now have a solid reason to look beyond these dark times.' He declared and she cocked her head, a confused frown on her face.

Harry gave her a shy smile.

'Veela mate for life, right?'

Fleur beamed at him, her smile brighter than the golden lake they sat beside.

With a grin, Harry stood, using one hand to dust off his pants and the other to help her stand.

'Since you know everything now, would you like to train with me? Unless you have anything else to do of course.' He grinned and she scowled at him as she dusted off her clothes.

'Did I not say before that we are a team from this day on?' she replied, her nose in the air before she gave a shy grin.

'I may have gotten a bit rusty, however.' She admitted as he smiled at her, his eyes raking over her outfit which showed her curves.

'As much as it would be exciting to train like this, I think we should get changed into something else first.' Harry grinned and Fleur gave her musical laugh as she looked down to her tight skirt and low-cut blouse.

'You might be right 'Arry.' She agreed before taking his hand and dragging him toward the castle to her family's rooms.

* * *

Half an hour later the two teens arrived at the Room of Requirement wearing appropriate exercise clothes where Sirius and Remus waited, Remus reading a book and Sirius pacing.

As Harry led Fleur inside the room, he grinned as she let out a gasp at the training room.

'You two know Fleur. Fleur, you remember Sirius, my Godfather and Remus, my honorary uncle, right?' Harry announced and both Sirius and Remus stared at the two teens holding hands.

'It's about time pup, when did it become official?' Sirius crowed as Harry blushed, looking down at his and Fleur's joined hands.

Fleur grinned and squeezed his hand.

'Yesterday Mister Black, we 'ad a wonderful dinner with my family afterward.' She glowed and Sirius looked astounded, his mouth gaping like a fish.

'Well, you guys work fast don't you?' Sirius blinked as Remus laughed at the lost expression on his face.

'Congratulations, you broke Sirius. I haven't seen him like that since he was asked to be your Godfather.' Remus announced with a grin, eyeing his friend.

Harry grinned at the two men before he grinned.

'Okay you two, how do you feel about putting the two of us through our paces? At least until Flitwick arrives later?'

Sirius and Remus share a glance and nod.

'Okay cub, let's see how you fare in a teamwork scenario instead of going solo like you're used to.'

* * *

That evening after a day of training and relaxing with Fleur getting to know Sirius, Remus and later on, Flitwick. The two teens made their way to the Delacour rooms and had finished a comfortable dinner where Harry and the elder Delacour's got to know each other, as well as Gabrielle.

After Gabrielle went to bed, Harry and Fleur sat across from Apolline and Dominique in the lounge. Fleur took the lead in explaining the situation concerning the happenings around the world and their underworld origins to her parents, with Harry explaining anything she struggled with. They left out Harry's mental companions for simplicity. When Fleur had gotten to explaining about Salazar Slytherin her parents stared at Harry in shock.

'Yeah, it sounds unbelievable, I know. But right now? I couldn't take him in a one-on-one fight. But I am getting better, eventually I will be able to take him.' Harry admitted, his gaze on the floor before Apolline knelt before him and gathered him into a hug, kissing his forehead before returning to the couch.

'We believe in you Harry; you will defeat them eventually and we will help you every step of the way.' Harry stared at Apolline, then at Dominique who gave him a warm smile.

'After what we saw at Beauxbatons with Morgan Le Fey and everything that's happening. I'm willing to trust you when you say that you're able to make a difference. We know what happened after the Triwizard Tournament, which you won. It's not really that much of stretch now that we know your story.' He admitted and Harry smiled.

'Thanks.'

Harry looked up at the elder Delacour's, a small frown on his face.

'I'm sorry but I have to ask. Why are the both of you so supportive of me? Why are you so quick to trust me? You've only known me for what, a day or two?'

Apolline glanced at Dominique who gave a soft smile and nodded. He took a breath and met Harry's gaze.

'It is something that I also encountered when I got together with Apolline. Her family treated me much the same as we treat you. It is because of the unique situation Veela find themselves in regarding relationships.' Dominique paused and Harry felt eyes on him, both elder Delacour's watched him with small smiles on their faces while Fleur squeezed his hand.

'It is almost unheard of that a wizard will choose to take a Veela as his only partner, especially when that wizard is a Lord of an Ancient and Noble house.' Dominique ran a hand across his face and sighed.

'I am the head of the Delacour family, similar in stature to the Potters in Britain, but on a lower level. But ignoring the politics that comes with all of that. The fact that you have not only bonded with my daughter, which is in itself a rarity, you have also forsaken your right to multiple wives for her.' Dominique paused and Harry noticed the man's eyes tearing up. Apolline rubbed a hand across her husbands back while he regained his composure.

'Harry, the reason why we are so supportive of you and Fleur's relationship, and you in particular is because we can see that you are exactly the type of man we always wanted Fleur to be with.' Dominique sniffed and stood from the table, moving across the room toward the box of tissues on the coffee table.

Apolline smiled at the two teens.

'As you can see Harry, it means a lot to us that you have accepted Fleur. That she was able to create a bond with you is further proof to us that you are a man we can trust her with.' She smiled at him and Harry blinked, overwhelmed by the trust given to him.

'But, our ages?' he asked, not sure why he felt the need to say anything.

Apolline laughed.

Harry blinked again.

'Oh Harry, age doesn't mean much in the magical world. In two years you will be of age. In ten years the age difference will mean nothing. Besides, because of that Tournament last year you are emancipated, you do know that don't you?' she asked, her eyes wide as she saw his confused expression.

Apolline looked to Fleur then back to Harry.

'Harry, that Tournament was designed for _of age_ competitors. It was specifically written in the rules that only those of age could compete. So, when the Goblet chose you, regardless of how it happened, you were legally declared an adult.' Apolline paused as Dominique returned to sit beside her.

'Nobody told you this did they?' Dominique asked and Harry shook his head.

'So, I suppose the next time you go into Gringotts you should probably talk to them about your Lordship.' Dominique asked and Harry nodded, his mind struggling to keep up.

Fleur squeezed Harry's hand and smiled at him when he focussed on her.

'Remember 'Arry, we are in this together.' She whispered and Harry couldn't help the smile on his face at her words.

Dominique sighed, running a hand down his face.

'I must return to France tomorrow; the Ministry is running itself ragged trying to protect the country from the army that destroyed Beauxbatons. I don't know where it will strike next.'

Harry nodded, holding Fleur's hand.

'I will help in whatever way I can. I don't think I can handle Morgana by myself yet, but Dumbledore and I together should give her some trouble I hope.'

A house-elf popped into the room with a crack, deposited some desserts on the table then disappeared with another crack. Harry glanced at Fleur who wore a small grin before the inhabitants of the room took a dessert each, eager to continue getting to know each other.


	28. Chapter 28 - Complications

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

**Chapter 28: Complications.**

Three days later saw Harry and Fleur in the Room of Requirement.

They had configured the room to appear like the dragon arena of the first task from the Triwizard Tournament. On one side of the arena Fleur battled against Sirius and Remus, she fought well against the two wizards, relying on her skill in wards and charms to trick and trap them.

On the other side of the arena Harry duelled Flitwick, using a single wand and limiting his power to that of his opponent. Harry's second wand held in his holster after he had gotten it from Ollivander's two days before.

The two battles occurring couldn't be more different from each other. Fleur's battle was one of finesse and trickery, as Fleur didn't have the sheer brute power behind her that Harry did.

Whereas Harry's battle was direct combat. He had never had the patience for traps and playing the long game.

Harry grinned as he considered the difference in their fighting styles.

He'd come a long way in a few days. His waking hours spent training with one of his three trainers or with Fleur. His sleeping hours being spent with his mental companions pushing him further even than when he was awake. Now that Fleur joined him in his dreamscape every night she was catching up.

Harry could defeat Flitwick every time if he used both wands and all his available power. But they had decided that Harry had to learn to increase his skills instead of always relying on overpowering his opponent, which he was unlikely to be able to do against the likes of Voldemort.

The little man darted around the arena, using the rocks as cover from Harry's attacks. Each bludgeoning spell shattering the cover, leaving much of the arena around the two as little more than piles of pebbles. Flitwick shielded a handful of stinging hexes, each shield shattering after a single spell, but was followed by a flick of the little man's wand sending a shattered pebble toward Harry with the speed of a bullet.

The pebble turned to dust as it hit Harry's reflexive shield.

He scowled; the point of this duelling practice was to force him to learn how to fight without using all his abilities. His reflexive shield was a part of his wandless magic, which he was trying to not have to rely on.

He needed to get good enough that he could beat Flitwick without having to use anything other than a single wand.

Harry clenched his jaw and conjured a Matagot, something Merlin had showed him in his training while he wasn't working with Fleur. The Matagot was a dog sized cat-like creature, with black skin and large light blue eyes.

With a single jerk of his head he sent the Matagot toward Flitwick whose eyes widened at seeing Harry conjure a magical creature.

Reflexively, the little man fired a curse at the Matagot before realising what it was.

The curse hit the Matagot that split to become three.

The three Matagot's tore across the arena, dodging cages and traps that Flitwick rushed to create, knowing not to directly attack the creatures or risk creating more.

While Flitwick was dealing with the Matagot's, Harry disillusioned himself, silenced his feet and cast a muffliato charm. The charm caused anyone nearby to hear nothing but whispers, further reducing the chance the Professor would hear his movement. He ran in a wide circle around the charm's professor, who had captured two of the Matagot's before Harry made it behind the little man and stunned him.

With a wave of his hand, the Matagot's disappeared and Harry sat down on a nearby rock, reviving Flitwick.

'Good work Mister Potter, good work indeed.' Professor Flitwick gushed as he bounced up to his feet, making his way to stand before Harry.

'I didn't think it was possible to conjure magical creatures, how did you do it?' the little man squeaked, his voice dripping with excitement.

Harry grinned at his professor.

'It seems you can do it; it just takes a lot of power. The spell is a higher-powered variation of the standard conjuring spells. Or rather, the standard spells are a lower powered variation of this. Does that make sense?' Harry asked and Flitwick's eyes shone with excitement.

That was something Harry enjoyed about his training with Flitwick, even now that the small man was losing more often than he won, he was so enthusiastic about each duel.

'That is astounding Mister Potter, would you be able to teach me? I'm sure that Minerva would relish the opportunity as well, Albus too for that matter.' Flitwick begun before a contemplative look came over him.

'But why choose a Matagot?'

Harry grinned.

'Because I haven't tried conjuring anything else since I learnt how to do it, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, I didn't want to risk messing it up.' Harry admitted and Flitwick nodded.

'It was a brilliant piece of magic Mister Potter; now shall we go see how Miss Delacour is faring against her opponents?' Flitwick asked as he turned, leaving their part of the arena in ruins.

Harry grinned and followed the diminutive Professor across the arena to see Fleur shielding and dodging attacks from Sirius and Remus, both men sending a variety of spells. Some stunners, ropes, chains, a handful of distracting school yard jinxes.

Harry watched as with every step back she took, Fleur placed wards and trap runes on the ground. But her focus on this forced her further back toward the edge of the arena with every spell the two marauders fired.

He couldn't help the grin on his face as he watched the two men fall into her trap. The arena shone a bright white as Fleur triggered the runes that now surrounded the Marauders. Harry shielded his eyes from the light and when it faded, he saw Fleur on the ground, leaning against a boulder, taking heavy breaths as the Marauders lay on the ground in chains.

As Harry moved toward Fleur, a handful of chains burst out of a nearby trap toward him, but with a wave of his hand the chain faded away, removed from existence. A moment later he knelt beside Fleur, his hands on her shoulders.

'Fleur, are you okay? You did so well.' He whispered in her ear and pulled back to see an exhausted grin on her lips. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him and he kissed her forehead before sitting down beside her, an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him.

She relaxed into his embrace and he couldn't miss her exhaustion as she burrowed into his chest.

Harry glanced over at the two marauders to see Flitwick releasing them from their binds. The diminutive Professor gave Harry a nod before helping the two men to their feet as the room changed from the arena into a comfortable study, no more than ten square metres, with bookshelves covering every wall apart from a door. In the centre of the room stood an independent fireplace surrounded by couches and wing chairs.

A room designed for relaxing with a good book in front of the fire.

Three men left the room, with the Marauders limping with each step.

Harry pulled Fleur to her feet and over to the couch on the near side of the fire and sat down, laying her head on his lap as he trailed his fingers through her silver hair. She moaned as his fingernails grazed her scalp and snuggled closer into his lap.

'You did really well this afternoon Fleur. I'm proud of how far you've progressed in only a few days.' Harry murmured as he continued running his fingers through her hair. She only tightened her arms around his waist, and she fell into a resting slumber.

An hour later, Harry coaxed Fleur awake and the two made their way to the Delacour's rooms for dinner after which Harry left them to enjoy some time together, returning to the Hall of the Brave to perform another ritual before sleep.

* * *

Harry ducked Excalibur as it whistled through the air where his head was a moment before, a flick of his wand sent Arthur falling to the ground as Harry hit him with a banishing curse in the chest. Only to throw himself to the side in a roll to avoid Godric's sword slicing through him.

As it was, Godric's sword opened a cut in Harry's shirt and left a shallow cut underneath.

Harry finished his roll with his feet evenly spaced, his holly wand in front, pointing at Godric who did the same while Harry's long sword he held in his off hand, its tip inches off the ground as Harry waited for his opponents to make a move.

Harry was covered in small scrapes, his shirt in tatters and breathing hard. But Godric and Arthur weren't in much better shape. The three men stood in the open field in Harry's mindscape, watching each other for the slightest hint of movement.

''Arry?' Fleur's lilting voice came from behind him and Harry felt his posture relax. With a flick, his wand returned to its holster and Harry's sword faded into mist as he turned to face Fleur and Merlin who both wore wide grins.

Harry noticed Godric and Arthur follow his lead, surprising him, he figured one of them might at least try to catch him by surprise but gave an internal shrug.

This must be important.

Try as he might, Fleur refused to tell him what she and Merlin were working on over the last few nights they had spent in Harry's mindscape, it was meant to be a surprise, if it ended up working.

He wore a grin as he made his way to Fleur, taking her hands and giving her a kiss before pulling away and giving a nod to Merlin who shook his head, rolling his eyes.

'What's up guys?' Harry asked and noticed Fleur give a look to Merlin who nodded. Fleur turned back to Harry; their hands still linked.

'I think we 'ave discovered how to unleash my true Veela power.' She beamed, bouncing with excitement. Harry enjoyed the excitement she felt, as well as the view of her bouncing, a smirk crossed his face for a moment before he cocked his head.

'What do you mean, that awakening thing you told us about the other day?' Harry asked Merlin who nodded with a chuckle.

'We really have covered a great deal this evening…' Merlin trailed off with a shrug and Fleur covered her gasp with a hand over her mouth.

'I forgot I 'adn't told you anything we were working on.' Her excitement tempered by Harry's confusion.

Merlin sighed, grumbling something about _children._

'When I helped Morgana with the grand curse eventually used against the elves, there were large parts of it that she didn't understand which is why she needed my help to do it.' He started, watching as Harry nodded, Godric and Arthur behind him echoing the nod.

'In addition to her not having a total understanding of the curse, Morgana added a target to the curse at the last moment, rather than create the curse entirely around the target which would have been far more effective.' Merlin explained and Harry stared at the ancient wizard, blinked twice then turned to meet Fleur's gaze.

He groaned when he saw understanding in her eyes.

Harry gave a nod to himself, tired, beaten and bloody.

'Okay guys, my mind isn't working quite as fast as it should be right now, can we simplify this a little?' he asked and was met by chuckles from Godric and Arthur while Merlin rolled his eyes at him. Fleur gave him a cheeky smile that Harry had noticed usually lead to a long make-out session when they were alone.

'Morgana made a large mistake with the curse. I have figured out how to take advantage of that.' Merlin summarised, rolling his eyes at the grin Harry wore before turning to Fleur.

'Care to demonstrate my dear?' Merlin asked and Fleur gave Harry a shy grin, stepping away from him until she was more than a metre from everyone.

'Remember my dear, focus on your avian transformation, but use it as a stepping stone to our goal.' Merlin remarked and Fleur nodded before closing her eyes that held a hint of fear.

The fear faded as her face turned blank as she concentrated. A small frown appeared on her brow as her silver eyebrows furrowed with focus.

Harry watched in awe as Fleur transformed.

Her face elongating and becoming birdlike, her eyes turning pitch black. Feathers sprouted across her body, scaly wings bursting from her back, tearing through her robe before spreading outstretched as she stood before Harry. Those black eyes seemed to bore into him for a moment before Harry gave her a gentle smile.

'Beautiful.' He whispered before she started to glow, a bright white light blinding the spirits and Harry.

Harry had seen the Veela's avian transformation at the Quidditch world cup before his fourth year, but that had been at a distance. Up close it was completely different. He could feel her allure far stronger than in her human form, though it still had no effect on him, he could feel the power behind it.

It was no wonder that the wizarding world, however wrongly, feared the Veela. The power they could wield over men was extreme, from what he could gather, apart from himself, the only people who could resist the allure from the avian transformation would be those with strong occlumency, or those resistant to it.

Fleur had told him her father was resistant, while he himself was immune. He wondered what caused that change, he had felt the allure from the Veela at the world cup, but perhaps it was because he had never heard of them before, just like he had grown immune to the imperious curse later that year. He wondered whether it could be that exposure to the allure made you resistant?

The bright light flowing from Fleur faded, and Harry lowered his hand from his eyes and stared in abject wonder at the sight before him. He saw Fleur standing tall and proud, no longer in her avian form, but not in her human form either.

She was mostly returned to her normal appearance, but everything was heightened. Her silver flowing hair blew about her in a non-existent breeze, it shone with an otherworldly grace that made Harry think of a dream. Her once sapphire blue eyes were now a shining silver, like her hair which glowed with unrestrained power. Great white feathered wings spread out from her shoulders, outstretched two metres from her body on either side.

Harry stared in fascination, a small voice in the back of his head demanding he fall to his knees and worship this goddess.

She stood proud before three of the most powerful wizards ever to exist and Harry, but she only had eyes for Harry. Her silver orbs never leaving Harry's emerald gaze.

Fleur shone with an inner light that seemed to come from her very skin, illuminating their surroundings.

Her allure was astounding, while he wasn't affected by it, he could feel it around him. It bombarded him with its sheer force, demanding his obedience.

Harry saw the pride on her face as she watched him for a reaction, but he also saw a hint of anxiety in her expression. He smiled at her and strode across the field toward her and pulled her into a searing kiss, more passionate than any he had initiated before.

He pulled back, both breathless and Harry held her by the waist.

'You really are my Angel now.' He whispered and her brilliant smile lit up the field.

'Harry, you need to wake up. There is something wrong in the castle.' Merlin's voice interrupted the two teens who froze, turning to stare at Merlin.

* * *

A moment later, Harry woke up in his bed in the Hall of the Brave, with a groan at the loss of Fleur in his arms he sat up. Disorientation warred with the urgency Merlin had ejected him out of his mindscape.

Harry blinked before leaping out of bed, quickly donning his dragonhide outfit handed down by Godric.

'Guys, do we know where the issue is happening? Is it Salazar again?' Harry asked, lacing on his dragonhide boots quicker than he had ever before.

'_No Harry, I do not know what is going on, only that something is. Something that endangers you and your bonded.'_ Merlin said, concern in his tone.

Harry threw out a hand, summoning the marauders map which leapt to his hand from his trunk.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' He said and watched the map etch itself into existence with spidery script. Names appeared on the map and his gaze darted across them, searching for anything out of the ordinary until he saw a mass of names that weren't in their dorms.

He recognised the room the mass of names was outside of; he had dined there often over the last few days.

The Delacour's rooms.

Harry buried the map in his outer robe and in an instant, he left the room, running as fast as his ritual enhanced body could move. He took every shortcut and secret passage he could think of along the way. He passed by groups of zombie-like students moving in the same direction as him, Harry only gave them a single glance, but that was enough for his mental companions to analyse everything he saw.

The students he passed all had glazed eyes and vacant expressions as they shuffled toward their destination.

'_It looks like they are dominated by something, but they can't all be suffering from the imperious.'_ Merlin mused.

'_Salazar's slavery potion didn't act like this either, so I'm sure it's not Salazar._' Godric added.

Harry came to a knot of students that filled that hallway, blocking him. But rather than push through and perhaps injure them while also slowing himself down. Harry ran toward the wall just before the clump of students and drawing both his wands he flicked them both, casting a featherlight charm on himself and a modified low powered sticking charm Sirius had shown him on his feet as soon as they touched the wall.

Then he was running across the wall.

It felt strange to be defying gravity, but he didn't have the focus to think about anything other than getting to Fleur and her family.

Fleur.

'Godric, the students behaviour matches Veela allure in some ways doesn't it? Maybe Fleur's new form affects people differently?' Harry said, breathless as he cancelled his spells and landed on the floor once more to turn another corner.

He pushed his body faster, activating a handful of ritual rune tattoos governing his speed, eager to eke out an extra few seconds if possible.

Turning another corner, Harry checked the map for a moment, feeling his blood run cold as the mass of names had entered the Delacour quarters and were outside Fleur's room where Gabrielle was with her, they were both on Gabrielle's bed.

Just as he was about to tuck the map away again, a name entered Fleur's room, a seventh year that Harry didn't recognise. That name was followed by others a moment later, male and female students, even a couple professors.

Harry ran faster, tucking the map away and felt the world slow down around him in his fear. Who knows what could happen to Fleur if he didn't get there soon.

Then he was outside the Delacour's quarters, a mass of students from first to seventh year and from all houses stood between himself and Fleur.

Harry felt his power surging to him, and with a thought flicked both wands and sent a wave of force toward the mass of students, banishing them all down the hallway, knocking them down in a tangle of limbs.

He darted through the fallen mass and into the shattered door frame to find the lounge filled with students pushing toward Fleur's room.

An idea entered his mind and he ran with it.

Harry leapt into the air, banishing the floor he had been standing on moments before. The stone floor cracked at the power he had used, but most of the power he used was sent back to him, launching him through the air, above the mass of students.

Unfortunately, his aim was off.

He crashed through the wall of Fleur and Gabrielle's room.

Shaking his head, dazed from the impact and heavy stone blocks pinning him to the floor. Harry growled in rage as he saw Fleur, her brilliant white wings created an impenetrable wall between the mass of students and her as she held Gabrielle in her arms. They were standing on Gabrielle's bed, but Harry could see they were being overwhelmed and he heard their tears and felt their fear.

His rage built up inside him, overpowering the pain he felt from the heavy stone pinning him down. He unleashed his roiling magic and with a thought, the stone turned to dust.

Harry stood, covered in dirt and blood from his dramatic entrance.

He saw a few distinctive red heads in the crowd, the Weasleys. To his surprise he saw Professor Sinistra also sporting glazed eyes. With a growl he fired stunning spells at everyone between him and Fleur, cutting down a swathe of students with every step he took.

Within moments he had lost count of the number of stunners he had sent out, but he leapt up onto the bed, ignoring the pain in his leg as he continued his assault.

A minute later it was finished, all the students and Professors Sinistra and Vector were lying unconscious on the floor and Harry let out a ragged breath. The excitement of the evening finally hitting him.

He turned and moved in front of Fleur's wings, still wrapped protectively around herself and Gabrielle. From the corner of his eye he saw the elder Delacour's by the hole in the wall he created, peering in, staring in wonder at Fleur's brilliant white wings.

'It's okay Fleur, you're safe now. You're both safe now.' Harry whispered and he saw her wings quiver before moving, just enough that he saw Fleur's face between them.

She wore a determined expression that fell to exhaustion as soon as she saw Harry.

He moved forward and held his hands on her cheeks, moving in to kiss her, careful not to jostle Gabrielle. Harry's lips touched Fleur's and moments later, Fleur's wings retracted into her body and she returned to normal, her hair fell straight and after he pulled back from their kiss, she opened her eyes to reveal them having returned to their brilliant sapphire blue.

Harry pulled Fleur into an embrace, holding her close to him.

'Everything is going to be okay.' He whispered, she nodded into his chest, sniffing.

'Gaby is okay, your parents are fine.' She nods again.

''Arry, it was so much worse than when my powers first appeared. Back then it was just unwanted attention, but I was able to escape.' She whispered; her voice haunted.

She pulled back to look around the room of stunned students and Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile.

'We're going to figure all of this out.' Harry leaned closer to Fleur, his lips beside her ear.

'My Angel.'

Harry grinned at the blush and small smile that appeared on her face as he pulled away.

Fleur looked over his shoulder where he knew her parents stood, staring at the scene. Harry met Fleur's gaze then looked down at Gabrielle then motioned for himself to go to her parents, she nodded with a smile as she held a crying Gabrielle closer to her.

Harry stood and moved through the room toward the elder Delacour's, it took him longer than it should due to the bodies he had to avoid. As he approached them, he saw that their gazes were locked on Fleur who still had Gabrielle close to her chest, whispering to her and kissing her head.

'It's a long story, but we found a way to unlock Fleur's power. We however didn't anticipate the effect on the castle around us.' Harry explained, but wasn't sure they heard as their eyes never left their daughters.

'_Harry, ask them if the behaviour of the students resembled what happened at Beauxbatons.'_ Merlin's voice entered his mind and Harry relayed the question.

Fear crossed their faces before Apolline nodded.

'Were these people dominated by Morgan Le Fey?' she asked, her face white. Harry shook his head.

'No, they weren't. I believe they were dominated by Fleur's enhanced allure. But that power may be similar to Morgana's power. That is likely why she took the body of the Veela Matriarch, Morgana might be trying to make use of the Veela's powers to augment her own.' He explained, sighing when she saw their blank expressions.

Harry shook his head.

'Never mind.'

He gestures to the bodies around the room and the lounge room.

'We should go somewhere else for accommodations for the rest of the night. I'll be right back.' Harry grinned to the elder Delacour's who stared after him as he moved back to kneel before Fleur.

'Fleur, I'm going to take you guys to the Room of Requirement to get away from here for a while. At least until morning when we can go to Dumbledore to get new rooms.' He whispered, not wanting to upset Gabrielle in her arms.

Fleur nodded to Harry, standing as he did. He helped her through the crowd of stunned students.

Together, Harry and Fleur led her parents up to the seventh floor and to the hallway in front of the portrait of the dancing trolls.

'Fleur, did you want to take control of the room?' Harry asked and she beamed at him before nodding.

Apolline and Dominique stared at the teens in confusion until Fleur paced back and forth three times, and a door appeared in the wall. Harry smiled at the shock on their faces.

Harry moved to open the door, gesturing for them to enter, followed by Fleur who still held Gabrielle in her arms, rocking her back and forth.

'Maman, Papa, this is called the Room of Requirement. It is a secret room in the castle that transforms into whatever is needs to. I made it turn into our 'ome for this evening. I will explain further in the morning, but for now. We should all go to sleep.' Fleur explained, leading her parents upstairs, to where Harry assumed their bedrooms were.

Harry closed the door behind him and moved around the entryway with slow steps, taking in as much of the house as he could.

Fleur's home.

The room was light a luxurious, most of the surfaces were marble and tasteful metallics like copper and an understated gold were present throughout the room. A hallway led away from him into what appeared to be a sitting room from what he could see. A few metres in front of him was a staircase that wound its way upstairs before splitting left and right, a handrail framed the staircase made from a dull gold matched the many portraits of picturesque landscapes throughout the room.

In front of the stairs, to Harry's left sat a fireplace that cracked and popped with a hypnotic grace, above it on the mantle sat a collection of pictures of Fleur and Gabrielle over the years. He couldn't help the smile that came to him as he examined the happy children they had been.

In all the pictures, he saw no sibling rivalry between the sisters like he had heard about from his house mates. The pictures all showed how much adoration the sisters had for each other.

'This is the first time I 'ave brought a boy to my 'ome.' Fleur's voice came from behind him, coming down the stairs and wrapping her arms around his waist.

Harry twisted in her embrace and saw a faux shy smile, bringing a grin to his face before he wrapped his arms around her.

'I was afraid I would lose you tonight.'

She snuggled into his arms, letting out a sigh.

'I was too.' She pulled back, taking him by the hand and dragging him upstairs.

They turned right at the top of the stairs, moving back over the entryway before turning left into a hallway with two bedrooms, one on the left and one on the right of the short hallway. The one on the right had _Gabrielle_ written on the door while the left room held _Fleur_ written on it.

Fleur led him through the door to her room.

As he entered the room, the first thing he noticed was how neat it was. Not a thing out of place. The room white, accented with light blues and silver. With a wry grin he figured his own room at Grimmauld place was the same, decorated with Gryffindor reds and golds.

Seeing his grin, Fleur grasped his hand in her own.

'What do you think 'Arry?' she asked, her eyes shining. Her turned to face her, his hands holding hers.

'I think it's perfect. I hadn't really imagined your room before, but if I had, I can't think of anything else better than this.' He grinned and she beamed at him before she released his hands and dropped onto her bed.

She patted the spot on her bed beside her, now sporting a nervous expression on her face.

Harry sat down, both hands in his lap. His body grew tense and his mind froze.

Harry heard a laugh in his mind, and it took only a moment to recognise it as Godric's deep belly laugh. He scowled before he felt Fleur's gentle fingers on his chin, turning him to face her, concern etched on her features.

'What's wrong 'Arry?'

He sighed, clenching his jaw in annoyance with himself.

'Nothing, Godric just laughed at me.'

She stared at him for a moment before letting out a musical laugh of her own. He was torn between insulted at everyone laughing at him and admiring her laugh for its beauty.

'Godric, can you and the others leave us alone for a while?' she asked after she controlled her laughter. Harry felt the presence of his mental companions fade further than he had ever felt, and it was an odd feeling.

The feel of her warm lips broke his musing. Harry felt his body still tense, even as her lips pulled away and he hated himself for not reacting to her.

She peered at him and let out another musical laugh at his how tense he was.

Fleur lay down on the bed, stretching out like a cat, her gaze never leaving him, and he felt himself go red as he tried not to watch the curve of her body as she arched her back mid-stretch.

'Come 'Arry, join me.' She commanded and after a few moments of hesitation he did as commanded, his body still tense.

As he lay down, she rolled into him, her head on his shoulder and a leg draped over his with an arm on his chest.

She kissed his neck, trailing kisses up to his ear.

'Is it truly that bad?' she whispered, sending a shiver down his body.

He let out a heavy sigh, forcing his body to relax, slightly.

'It is quite nice.' He admitted, looking away toward the door of the room.

She pushed herself up beside him, one hand on either side of his head propping her up, her long silver hair creating a curtain around them.

'Quite nice?' she asked, a sharp edge in her tone.

He laughed, his hands moving to her waist. Harry gave her a small smile.

'Please be patient with me.' He asked, a pained expression on his face.

Fleur blushed, stammering.

'N-nothing like that was going to happen.' He shot her a confused frown.

'What else would happen? I've overheard the boys in my dorm talking about what going into a girls room means.' he asked, red faced and his eyes anywhere but on Fleur.

Her face was crimson as she moved away from him, leaning against the wall. She gestured around the room with her hand.

'Th-that's not what this is. I only wanted to snuggle, to be close to you.' She whispered and he stared at her in shock before turning an ever-brighter shade of red.

'I am such an idiot. I am so sorry for what I thought.' Harry groaned and she smiled at him.

'Non 'Arry, your friends in your dorm are idiots.' She soothed, running a hand across his cheek.

'The kind of encounters they are talking about aren't for those who 'ave a true connection. Those kinds of encounters are for children trying to act like adults.'

Harry stared into her sapphire eyes, unable to look away.

''Arry, we 'ave something special and when the time comes, it will be equally as special. We will both be ready for it. But for now, we shall just be with each other.' She whispered as she lay her head on his shoulder, snuggling in close to him.

Harry smiled as he wrapped an arm around the exhausted silver haired witch on his chest. The Room of Requirement feeling her desire for the lights to go out, acceded and the room fell into darkness.

Harry pondered on his situation, thanking whatever power was watching over him for sending Fleur his way. His eyes growing heavy, Harry blinked before deciding he quite liked having Fleur on his chest, liked the way her silver hair tickled his skin and how the sound of her breathing lulled him further toward sleep.


	29. Chapter 29 - Explanations

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, characters and everything else you recognise belong to someone else. JK for Harry Potter related things and I have no idea who owns the rights for Merlin and Arthur...

**Chapter 29: Explanations.**

Harry woke to a wonderful warmth across his body and the smell of lavender in his nose. A small groan came from whatever was on top of him followed by a quiet, nervous voice.

'Good morning 'Arry.'

Harry froze.

Memories flooded his mind from the night before, he had fallen asleep in Fleur's bed, in the Room of Requirement with her in his arms. It was one of the best few hours' sleep he had ever had, not to mention the best way to wake up he had experienced. It was odd however, that they didn't fall back into his dreamscape as they slept. Giving a mental shrug, he put the thought in the back of his mind to ask Godric and the others later.

He smiled, opening his eyes to Fleur's silver hair and vibrant blue eyes on him, a wide smile on her face. Harry felt a grin appear on his face before memories of his misunderstanding returned and he blushed a bright red, which grew deeper as he realised the effect of sleeping with the beautiful silver haired witch laying on top of him.

She smirked at him, a devious glint in her eyes which never left his as her fingers trailed down his scarred chest, his shirt having ridden up his torso during the night. As her fingers trailed further down toward his stomach his blush grew deeper and he couldn't help but hold his breath. His body growing tense as her fingers swirled circles on his skin so close to undeniable evidence of how much he had enjoyed sleeping beside her.

Then she leaned in close and with a giggle of all things, kissed his cheek before climbing over him and off the bed, leaving him laying still. He was unsure what he was feeling, glad she had stopped, while also being disappointed.

Damn hormones.

He looked over to her as she tapped her wand on herself, transfiguring her pyjamas into light blue robes. Harry looked down at himself and was glad he had gotten changed before running off the night before.

Fleur sauntered back over to him with a wide grin on her face, leant down to kiss his cheek and took his hand.

'Come 'Arry, we should go down to visit my parents and explain to them what happened last night.' She said and Harry held her hand, pulling himself up off the comfortable bed.

He looked down at himself before casting a few wandless spells on himself to make himself presentable, at least until he got back to the Hall of the Brave to shower and clean up. Nodding to himself he saw Fleur giving him a look that could only be described as _hungry_.

'Ready to go?' he asked, holding his arm out for her to take with a wide grin.

She curtsied with a mirroring grin before taking his arm.

'Let's go.' Fleur said with a smile as she led him out of the room and downstairs to meet her family who were seated and talking in the lounge room.

Harry glanced around as they entered and saw the white marble and gold trimmed theme continued in that room too. A fireplace burned on the far side of the room, giving the area a pleasant temperature and the smoky aroma from the fireplace added a homely ambience to the luxurious room.

In the centre of the room sat three couches in a U-shape with a coffee table on a rug in the middle. Each couch was large enough for three people, though Gabrielle took up one couch in its entirety as she lay across it reading a book. The second couch held Dominique and Apolline as they discussed something in low tones.

Fleur led Harry to the free couch, dragging him down to sit beside her, her hand clasping his as it lay on his lap.

'Maman, papa. Did the room replicate your bedroom properly? I am not as familiar with your bedroom as the rest of the 'ouse, unfortunately.' Fleur started as her parents turned their attention to her, both wearing wide grins.

'It was astounding, do you mean that the room got all the details from your mind? How?' Apolline asked, her keen mind already working to discover how the room worked.

Fleur shrugged.

'So far, I do not know 'ow this room works, only that it does and does so remarkably well.' Harry noted the pout on Apolline's lips as Dominique clasped a hand over her shoulder, whispering in her ear before she perked up.

Apolline stood and moved around the coffee table, kneeling before Harry and Fleur and pulled them both into a tight hug.

'Harry, thank you for coming to help us last night.' She whispered, kissing his cheek before kissing Fleur's a moment later.

'Fleur, thank you for protecting your sister.' Apolline said, her eyes watery as she looked between the two teens.

Apolline sniffed and moved back to sit beside Dominique who leant forward, a serious expression on his face and Harry remembered that the man was a well-regarded political figure.

'Harry, Fleur, before we go talk to Dumbledore, what can you tell us about last night?' he asked, and Harry turned to Fleur and leant in beside her ear.

'You're as much a part of this as I am now my Angel. I'm happy to follow your lead in this.' He whispered, smirking as he felt a shiver go through her body.

He pulled away and she nodded at him with a grateful smile.

Fleur let out a breath before meeting her father's gaze.

'Voldemort's revival earlier this year did more than bring him back. It brought back several other powerful spirits determined to rule and kill. These other figures are Salazar Slytherin, whom Harry has already fought. Morgan Le Fey who 'as destroyed both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons and another spirit, Mordred whom we 'aven't heard anything from just yet.' Fleur started and Harry watched as she explained the current situation to her parents.

He jumped into the explanation a few times when she struggled.

'I don't think these reborn spirits are working together, but I suppose there's always the risk that they do. And with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons fallen, only Hogwarts remains.' Harry finished, taking Fleur's hand and squeezing it.

Dominique blinked, his gaze moving between Fleur and Harry.

'Okay, so…' the man trailed off, his gaze still darting between the two teens before he sighed, rubbing his face with his hand.

'Why you? Harry? Is it because you're the Boy-Who-Lived? Or another reason? Did you choose this? You, you're an admittedly advanced fifteen-year-old boy, why are you involved in this fight? And why is Fleur?' Dominique asked as Apolline clasped his hand in her own. Harry saw the fear in their eyes and sighed.

'Why me? That is a question I've asked myself all my life. But in this context, there are a few possible reasons. One is that I'm an heir to one founder of Hogwarts, Gryffindor to be exact.' He paused, trying to put his thoughts into words was harder than he thought.

'A second reason is that I have the power to do something in this war, so it's what I have to do. I couldn't live with myself if I sat back and watched the world burn, when I could have stopped it.' Harry started, turning to meet Fleur's gaze, the unnamed emotion sparkling in her eyes as she smiled at him.

'Voldemort has been trying to kill me since I was a baby. Every year at Hogwarts there has been a life-threatening situation that involved me.' Harry sighed again, running a free hand through his hair.

'Possibly the biggest part of the situation is that I currently have the spirits of three of the most powerful wizards in history in my mind. Godric Gryffindor, King Arthur and Merlin. They have been training me since the night of the third task when they escaped the underworld as well, though they chose to inhabit me rather than obtain new bodies.' Harry paused and held back a smile as he watched the elder Delacour's stare at him in shock.

''Arry?'

Harry turned away from Fleur's parents to see Gabrielle standing in front of him with tears in her eyes and he reached out to pull her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed.

Harry turned to give Fleur a lost expression, not knowing what to do, only for her to smile at him, tears threatening to escape her.

'_It's okay Gabrielle, I will stop the bad people soon. And your big sister is going to help me, isn't Fleur brave?'_ Harry whispered in French into the young Veela's ear, Gabrielle shivered and held on tighter, but he felt her turn her gaze to Fleur who leaned in to kiss Gabrielle's brow.

'_Really Harry? Fleur will help you save people?'_ Gabrielle whispered back in her native tongue and Harry squeezed the girl tight.

'_Yes, we're doing everything we can to make sure we can help people. But I'll make sure nothing happens to her.'_ He whispered back, his voice must have been louder than he thought because Apolline wiped away a tear from her eye and both parents were watching him again.

With Gabrielle still in his arms and Fleur with one hand on his leg while her other was pulling a strand of hair out of her sister's face, Harry turned back toward Dominique and Apolline.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but closed it when he heard Fleur speak, her lilting words freezing him.

''Arry is too modest. His magical core rivals Merlin's, he only needs to learn to use it.' She said with a smirk toward Harry who groaned.

Dominique's gaze moved to Fleur.

'How do you know?'

Fleur smiled and gestured to where her wings had been the night before.

'Merlin taught me 'ow to release my true Veela power, there is another form, beyond the avian form that all Veela know.' She smiled at Harry with a blush on her cheeks.

''Arry calls me his Angel.'

Apolline smiles at the two.

'Now, that is sweet, but maybe call the form something else? Keep that one between the two of you. There are too many connotations for public use. Perhaps call it the Alpha Veela form?'

Fleur grinned and leapt over to her mother, wrapping her in an embrace.

'That sounds great Maman.'

Harry grinned at the sight then turned back to Dominique as he frowned.

'Harry? How did Merlin teach Fleur anything, isn't he in your mind?'

He blinked and Fleur pulled back from her mother, they shared a glance and Harry shrugged.

'Papa, every night Harry's spirits train him in his mindscape while his body sleeps. Since the day we bonded, I have been joining his mindscape for some reason and Merlin has been training me there.' Fleur explained and Dominique ran his hands over his face and into his hair, letting out a heavy sigh.

'Okay, just give me a minute, this is all a lot to take in.' Dominique groaned and Harry smiled as both Apolline and Fleur gathered the man into a hug and Harry closed his eyes, just holding Gabrielle in his arms, swaying slightly.

He felt the young Veela in his arms breathing steady, deep breaths and figured she was asleep. Though this belief didn't stop him from continuing to sway as he held her, finding comfort in the trust the little girl held in him.

His thoughts ran rampant through his mind, ranging from the threats outside Hogwarts to everything he had learnt over the last months before settling on the family he now sat with. The Delacour's were a wonderful, loving family that he wished he had known for longer. The kind of family he had always dreamed of when he had been younger. Thoughts entered his mind of his own future, he was bonded with Fleur, and Veela mated for life.

Logically that meant that she might want a family with him some day, the thought both terrified and excited him in equal measure.

But before his thoughts went any further, he was torn out of his mental debate.

'Okay, we should go to Dumbledore. Then I must return to France, I'm needed at the ministry. It seems they need me there more than they need me in the British ministry.' Dominique announced, having stood at some stage during Harry's musings while Fleur had re-joined him on their couch.

She stood and held her arms out for Gabrielle who clung closer to Harry as he tried to pass her over.

Fleur frowned and Harry gave a small shrug before standing.

'Let's go, hopefully Dumbledore might have some good news for us.' Harry smiled and led the way out of the Room of Requirement, Gabrielle still in his arms, her legs wrapped around his middle.

* * *

Together, the five made their way to the Headmasters office only to find the aged wizard leaving it.

'Good morning Harry, and Delacour's. Will you join me in the great hall for breakfast?' Dumbledore greeted them with a smile.

'No, sorry Professor. I think we need a discussion in your office if that's okay?' Harry replied, Dumbledore looked at him and the surrounding Delacour family before nodding.

'Yes, that may be a good idea my boy, come in.' Dumbledore offered as the gargoyle leapt aside and they all made their way into the office and found themselves in large overstuffed chairs, Gabrielle still clutching Harry.

Dumbledore sent off a Phoenix Patronus, Harry guessed to McGonagall and within moments an elf came to take their orders for breakfast.

'Sir, in case you are unaware, there was an incident last night at the Delacour's suite. Fleur and Merlin have discovered a new form for Veela, beyond the avian transformation. She made that transformation during our training last night, but she also transformed in her sleeping body.' Harry begun.

'This new Veela form has a far more powerful allure that we haven't gotten a handle on just yet and it dominated the minds of students from every house, and also some professors, Vector and Sinistra being the professors effected.' Harry paused, running a hand through his hair.

'I had to stun them all to stop them from injuring the Delacour's in their need to show their, affections, to Fleur who hadn't any control of her vastly stronger allure.' Harry explained and glanced over to Fleur to see her jaw clenched and her gaze on the floor.

'Now, they should all still be stunned, but you may want to get the elves to return them all to their beds or something as it's still early people may not realise they're missing.' Harry suggested. He felt Gabrielle shift her position on him, but otherwise stayed wrapped around his neck.

Dumbledore nodded and sent another Phoenix Patronus out of the room with a flick of his wand.

'Done, but what do you propose regarding the Delacour's living arrangements?' the aged headmaster asked, his gaze moving between Harry and the Delacour's in turn.

Dominique and Apolline turned to Harry and he gave them a small smile, surprised they were willing to follow his lead, he was a fifteen-year-old boy after all.

'Okay, well I've been thinking about it and I believe the Delacour's need a more secure room, which may work. But a more secure location would be better, I believe if we have Fleur in an area of the castle that people cannot enter in case of the allure escaping its bounds again.' Harry begun, seeing a worried expression on her face.

He sent a reassuring smile at her.

'I suggest we make the Chamber of Secrets habitable.' Harry said and everyone in the office stared at him.

The office was silent for a few seconds before Harry continued.

'Nobody can get in there, apart from Salazar, Voldemort and Myself. So, it's the most secure part of the castle. The Chamber is inside Hogwarts wards making it impossible for the other two to enter while the castle wards are still active.'

Harry sat holding Gabrielle as Fleur gave him an unreadable expression. Dumbledore stared at him, then to Dominique and Apolline, then to Fleur.

'Dominique? Apolline? Thoughts?' Dumbledore asked, his fingers steepled in front of his face.

Apolline and Dominique shared a glance before she turned to Harry.

'It seems like the best option, but what if Salazar or Voldemort fought their way back in? Can you fight them off to protect our daughter?'

Harry sighed, clenching his jaw.

'No, I can't fight either of them off just yet, not alone. Eventually I'm confident that I could. But if Fleur can harness the power her new form gives her, I'm sure we could hold out. Especially as Fawkes can flame down there if necessary, either to retreat or bring reinforcements.' Harry explained, smiling at the Phoenix in the corner of the room who gave a pleased trill at the suggestion.

The elder Delacour's nodded and turned to the Headmaster who gave a tired smile, turning back to Fleur who nodded.

'This won't happen for a few days yet. The Chamber will need to be cleared of anything dangerous, we will make the Chamber habitable. But I will need you to open it up while I have Mister Lupin do this. Is that acceptable?' Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded with a soft smile.

'In the meantime, professor, I think the Delacour's should stay in the Room of Requirement, we can put up some defensive wards to protect the single entrance.' He paused, looking down to the floor and clenching his jaw.

'Though I admit I haven't learnt any wards or enchantments.'

He felt Fleur's smile directed at him and turned to bask in her happiness.

'Then it is good that I do, isn't it?' she beamed at him while Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

'Then it is settled, I will also add in some of my own, anything to provide a bit more protection while the two of you prepare.'

The old man's eyes twinkled as he peered at the teens sitting before him and Harry narrowed his eyes.

'Are the two of you bonded?' Dumbledore asked and Harry saw small smiles appear on the Delacour's faces while he and Fleur blushed.

Dumbledore chuckled.

'I thought it odd that you were trained by Merlin miss Delacour, unless you were in his mindscape, also able to interact with his spirits. The only thing I could think of to achieve that would be the Veela bond, and only because I don't know all that much about them.' The old man paused with a smile.

'I am proud to see the two of you be able to form a bond like that, knowing Harry's life as I do, and your own behaviour since you were here last year miss Delacour.'

Harry still felt his face resembled a tomato and remained silent, glancing at Fleur whose face held more than a little colour as she nodded with a shy smile.

Dumbledore nodded to himself with a satisfied smile and sat back in his chair which creaked.

'Now if there is nothing else to discuss, it seems I have much to do for the rest of the day.'

Harry nodded at the clear dismissal and took Fleur's hand, they both stood followed by the elder Delacour's. Harry still held a dozing Gabrielle and gave a nod to Fawkes who blinked his black eyes in return followed by a happy trill.

The group left the Headmasters office and Harry walked with them back to their suite. They were silent as they walked, too many thoughts ran through their minds.

By the time they arrived at their suite they found it cleaned and repaired, as though nothing happened. Harry blinked.

'I love those House Elves.' He murmured, only to see Fleur give him a wink as she moved past him.

'Harry, I think we'll stay in the Room of Requirement only while we go to bed for the next few days. Otherwise it'll stop you training. We'll leave all of our things in here.' Apolline gave him a wide smile.

'Thank you for thinking of us. But from what we've seen in the last few weeks, you learning how to use your powers is more important than our comfort for the next few days. It is easy to see why Fleur thinks so highly of you.' Apolline leant forward to kiss Harry's cheek.

'Maman!' Fleur growled causing her mother to chuckle.

'Now Fleur, no need to get jealous.' Apolline smirked at Harry as she peeled Gabrielle from his torso.

'Gaby dear, lets get some sleep my love. Harry needs to go practice.' Apolline winked at Harry as she carried the youngest Veela away from them, leaving Harry and Fleur with Dominique.

'Okay kids, I've got to go back to France. I'll see you soon. It seems you two and Dumbledore are in the middle of this, so I'll give you any information I find.' Dominique said as he gathered Fleur into a tight hug.

'Look after each other.' He continued as he released Fleur and shook hands with Harry.

'And Harry, you're family now. We look after family, so anything you need just let me know okay?' he said with raised eyebrows as his gaze bored into Harry's who gave only a nod, not trusting himself to say anything further.

Harry watched as Dominique left the suite. At that moment, it appeared the world was silent, almost like it was the minutes just before dawn when everything was calm and still. Before the world awoke and chaos returned.

'Fleur?' Harry asked, turning to meet her gaze.

'Yes 'Arry?'

'Gabrielle doesn't seem to act like a thirteen-year-old.' He asked, not sure how he should word his question.

Fleur gave a soft smile, though it was more of a grimace.

'Yes, that is a common observation of Veela children.' She said, her eyes downcast.

Harry watched her, not sure whether he should continue his questioning.

She met his gaze and sighed.

'Gabrielle 'as always been more carefree and childlike than me. But, when a Veela is 'er age, it is not just our body that doesn't mature, our emotions are almost uncontrollable in this time.' She hesitated, her breath catching in her throat.

'At 'er age, the emotions that flow through us are so strong that they can easily overwhelm us. This makes us seem, uh…' she waved her hand in front of her, looking for the right word.

'Dramatic, childlike? No, that's not it.' She frowned, her hand running down her face.

Fleur met Harry's gaze and he was taken aback by the pain in her eyes.

'The reason she seems much younger than you would expect for a thirteen-year-old girl is that she just watched most of her friends and professors die. Those emotions would be difficult for a human girl to deal with.' She clenched her jaw and her eyes flashed.

'But to a Veela, whose emotions are 'eightened, especially in their premature years. It is too much, the pain and fear are too much for 'er to comprehend so she 'as…' she frowned, searching for the word.

'Regressed I believe the word is. 'iding away from the pain until she can deal with it properly.'

Harry wiped a tear from her cheek and held her hand.

'I'm sorry, I didn't consider how hard that would have been for you to explain.

She smiled at him and kissed his knuckle.

'Non, it was an 'onest question that only Veela and close family would already know.'

She let out a breath and Harry watched as she shed the pained expression she'd worn only a moment before. Fleur gave him a wink and cupped his cheek with her hand.

Then he felt Fleur's lips on his other cheek.

''Arry, I'm going to take a shower and change. Will I see you at the Room of Requirement in say, an hour?' she breathed in his ear and despite the heavy conversation they'd just had, Harry felt the need to take a cold shower, either that or join her for a very hot shower.

He shivered at the sensation and the thoughts her voice caused.

'A-an hour? Y-yes. An h-hour definitely.' He gasped as another shiver ran through his body and he fled the room, the sound of Fleur's musical laughter sounding behind him.

Harry ran, the need to burn up his excess energy allowing him to get to the Hall of the Brave in less than five minutes as he sped down empty hallways, some of which had classes in them, most of them however were empty, not having been used in years.

Upon reaching the Hall of the Brave Harry shut the door behind him and let out a heavy breath. He needed that shower before heading to the Room of Requirement.

* * *

Almost an hour later, after an ice-cold shower Harry stepped in to the Room of Requirement to see Remus reading a book. The room was in the regular training configuration of a rocky arena, though Remus sat in the centre of the arena in a conjured chair.

'Harry, I was wondering when you would be arriving. Will Fleur be joining us today?' the werewolf asked, and Harry nodded.

'She should be here any moment. But until she gets here, I wanted to tell you about what's happened since yesterday.' Harry started, before continuing to fill Remus in on Fleur's Alpha Veela form, its effect on the castle and her new living arrangements.

'Now, any chance after our training you'd be able to get started on clearing out the Chamber?' Harry finished and was surprised at the look of excitement on the werewolf's face.

'Are you seriously asking me if I would like to explore a secret Chamber that no one but you and Voldemort have stepped foot in for a thousand years?' Remus deadpanned and Harry glanced around the rocks around Remus.

'Yes?' he guessed, and Remus let out a full belly laugh.

'Oh Harry, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. I'll get started the moment we finish up here. I'm so excited to check it out, I'm sure Sirius will be just as excited.' Remus paused, seeing the look of confusion on Harry's face.

'You do know it was Sirius and me who came up with the idea for the Marauder's Map right? Your dad did most of the charms work because he was brilliant, but the exploring and researching? That was mostly Sirius and me.' Remus explained and Harry nodded, he always loved learning more about his parents, even small bits of their life.

It went unsaid that Peter likely had little to no input on the map, useless man that he was.

'Now, lets get started. Today, we will work on your accuracy, especially when under pressure.' Remus started, falling with ease into teacher mode.

Harry nodded.

'What do I do?' he asked and Remus grinned, a grin that Harry recognised and groaned.

'Stinging hexes again?' Harry deadpanned while Remus chuckled.

'Would you rather something more powerful?'

Harry groaned before with a thought a dozen targets appeared twenty metres away.

'Go.' Called Remus and Harry fired piercing spells at the targets, using only one wand then jerked backward at the last moment as a stinging hex sped past him, missing by inches. The targets pulled themselves back together moments after they were destroyed by the piercing hexes, giving Harry an unlimited number of targets.

This continued for a few minutes until Fleur entered the room and with a grin joined Remus in firing stinging hexes at Harry who smirked and used wandless shields to protect himself from those hexes he couldn't dodge while focussing on hitting the targets.

It took half an hour before he was hitting the targets every time while avoiding the stinging hexes.

Letting out a breath he wore a wide grin while Fleur and Remus scowled at him.

'Dammit Harry, you weren't supposed to get the hang of it this quickly.' Remus growled while Fleur beamed at him.

They swapped after that and Fleur worked on her target practice while under fire and Harry enjoyed tossing tickling charms amid the stinging hexes.

They stopped for lunch after all three were tired and sweating at the amount of magic they'd been tossing around.

Harry considered it for a moment as they sat down in conjured chairs, they'd been using only low powered spells, but they'd been going for hours now. It was no wonder that the three of them were exhausted. Harry and Fleur swapped places every half hour, the two teens starting to throw in more interesting spells to avoid as they went.

Before stopping Harry managed a very weak pinching jinx on her arse, making her squeal in surprise before glaring at him.

He beamed at her, bringing a smile to her face as she joined them as a table and chairs appeared bearing heaped piles of food.

'Really? Must you British always 'ave such 'eavy food? Someday I will show you the wonders of real food 'Arry.' Fleur complained as a plate with steamed fish and vegetables appeared in front of her.

She stared at Harry for a moment, shock on her face.

'Thanks Dobby.' Harry grinned and Fleur pouted.

'You knew, didn't you?' she asked only for Harry to wink at her as he took food from the table, putting it on his plate.

Halfway through their lunch Sirius and Flitwick arrived, joining them. The two professors finished their classes for the day so once finished with lunch, Flitwick took Harry aside while Fleur duelled against Remus and Sirius.

* * *

Three hours later Harry and Flitwick sat amongst the ruins of the rock arena, small fires still burned nearby from their duel and dozens of small craters pocked the ground.

'Mister Potter, there is not too much more I can teach you. You are a remarkable student, since having your mental companions you seem to pick up everything I teach you by almost the first try. It's almost like you are simply remembering what I'm teaching you.' Flitwick squeaked from beside Harry as they watched Fleur's duel against Sirius and Remus with interest.

'I know what you mean Professor, it's like I'm able to understand things so much quicker than before. I think it's because I learned Occlumency and I have them in my head making sure everything is maintained efficiently, but that part is just a hunch.' Harry sighed, watching as Fleur pirouetted away from a handful of spells fired by a tattered looking Sirius.

'Occlumency is a valuable skill, it's not surprising that you find things easier to learn now that your mind is better organised.' Flitwick noted as he cringed as Remus suffered a bludgeoning hex to his crotch and fell to the ground.

'But in a lot of ways, it's like Godric and the others are placing the knowledge in my head, kind of like copying it from them into myself to help speed up my learning. Which is great and all, but at the same time, it's kind of scary?' Harry groaned as Fleur was sent sprawling to the ground from an explosion curse hitting the ground in front of her covering her with dirt and rocks.

'Truly? That's astounding. I didn't think that would even be possible. Mister Potter, I do hope that after this is all over that you would consider writing all of this down into a book. I would be ecstatic to read it.' Flitwick chirped and clapped his hands as Fleur finished the duel with a blinding Lumos charm followed by a stunner to Sirius' face.

Harry and Flitwick approached Fleur as she sank to her knees, taking in large gulps of air as she bent over forward, her arms holding her up.

'Great job Fleur, you showed those old troublemakers who's boss.' Harry grinned as he knelt in front of Fleur rubbing a hand over her shoulder.

She looked up at him with a tired smile.

''Arry, 'ow did your duel with Professor Flitwick go?' Harry grinned at her gesturing to the smoking craters twenty or thirty metres away.

'It went well, I'm winning pretty much all our duels now. Flitwick has been great, always giving me pointers, helping me improve my style.' Harry turned to look at Remus still groaning on the ground and the stunned Sirius.

'You did well to take them both down so close together. They must feel sorry for themselves, getting beaten so thoroughly by both of us.' He grinned while she returned the grin though hers contained a hint of devious intent.

'Well, we are both Triwizard Champions. Are we not?' she purred, and Harry felt a shiver run through his body and his grin grew wider.

'Yes, we are. But before we get distracted shall we wake those two up so we can have a bit of time to rest?' Harry asked and she rolled her eyes before pushing herself to her feet.

'If we must, though I must admit, a rest would do me well.' She sighed as she went to wake up the two men as Harry turned to Flitwick to see the diminutive Professor had conjured a collection of chairs and was seated in his own waiting for the rest of them.

Harry took a seat and waited for Fleur to return, the two marauders in tow. They each took seats, Fleur taking the one to Harry's right while Flitwick was on his left. Remus took slow, steady steps that made him cringe as he held a hand over his groin, sending fearful glances at Fleur every few moments.

Flitwick leaned forward on his chair.

'Now, as we are mostly done for the day, though it is not yet time for dinner, I suggest we try a two on three duel. It should be interesting to pit Mister Potter and Miss Delacour against the three of us again, to see how they have improved in a few days.' Flitwick squeaked as he gestured to the three adults.

Harry leaned forward, a grin on his face.

'That sounds like it could be fun.' He turned to look at Fleur.

'What do you think? It'll be good to see how we work together in a combat scenario won't it?' he grinned and saw her mouth quirk into a slight grin, then a nod.

'When do we start?' Harry asked and Flitwick chuckled before raising his eyebrows at Remus.

'Once Mister Lupin has recovered from his last duel.' Flitwick chuckled and Remus groaned while Sirius couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.

* * *

Harry stood beside Fleur on one side of the arena while the other three stood thirty metres away, Remus having recovered from the bludgeoning hex he was hit by earlier.

'Do you have a strategy in mind?' Harry asked out of the corner of his mouth.

'You go all out 'Arry, I will support. I am better with wards and charms than offensive magic.' Fleur murmured and Harry nodded, a grin on his face as he held both wands ready to begin their mock battle.

A few moments later Flitwick sent a glowing red light into the sky and Harry noticed it hang in the air for a few seconds, defying gravity.

'Be ready my 'Arry.' Fleur whispered and Harry grinned, ready to go all out on his teachers.

The glowing red light exploded, and the arena burst into motion. Harry conjured a Matagot with one wand while tearing a wall of stone from the ground between the two groups to buy them a few moments.

The Matagot ran off with a mental command from Harry to move around the flank of the three adults they faced. Harry saw Fleur flicking her Rosewood wand from the corner of his eye, creating glowing white sigils on the ground around them, and a few on either side of the stone wall that was being torn down by spell fire from the opposite side.

Harry transfigured a handful of rocks into snakes.

'_Bite the standing men on the other side of the wall.' _Harry hissed in Parseltongue before noticing Fleur casting something he didn't recognise. Shaking his head, he refocussed on the battle and prepared to remove the wall to begin the fight in earnest.

'Ready?' he asked, receiving only a nod in return. He grinned.

'Bombarda.' Harry vocalised the only spell of the duel, with his voice amplified, though directed toward their opponents. The result was a booming call of his voice, sounding like some kind of ancient god, followed by the wall exploding.

Harry directed the shards of rock with his other wand, pointing them at their opponents. The shower of rocks shattered on impact with a shield held by Remus while Sirius fired through the gap in the wall at Harry who moved to stand in front of Fleur.

Harry saw a shield appear in front of him and for a moment, marvelled at the tiny flower patterns along its edge. He shook his head before brandishing both wands and fired a stream of schoolyard jinxes at Sirius for a few moments.

''Arry, stand three steps to the right. There is a protective ward there.' He heard Fleur whisper and he followed her instructions, noticing a warm tingling feeling run up his body from the sigil he stood on.

Harry focussed his fire on Remus who stood in the middle of the three men. He overpowered banishing hexes, stunners and other incapacitating spells and smirked as Remus' shield shattered. A new shield appeared, cast by Sirius which shattered moments later, and Harry's smirk grew as he saw Sirius and Remus panic at the appearance of a handful of snakes moving toward them.

A moment later both marauders were down, stunned and bound in Remus' case while Sirius was stunned and disarmed a moment after Remus.

Harry sent another explosion hex at the wall that shielded Flitwick from direct view. He turned on his magic sight at the lowest level. They were in a room created and run on magic after all.

Harry saw layers upon layers of delicate charms work surrounding the little man and narrowed his eyes. He didn't recognise any of what he saw, and a small groan escaped his lips.

Harry fired a stream of distracting spells at Flitwick who was forced to deal with them. A transfigured snake exploded when it came within a metre of Flitwick, a bright blue sigil flaring to life beneath it a moment before the explosion.

'Do you know what he's made over there?' Harry whispered, keeping up his stream of spells that Flitwick dodged or deflected.

'Yes, some of it and I 'ave an idea for the rest of it. Give me a moment 'Arry.' Fleur whispered, her breathing was heavy, and Harry realised that whatever she had been doing was draining her far faster than he thought it should have.

Harry refocussed on Flitwick and overpowered his standard capturing spells, the same ones he had used against Sirius and Remus.

Flitwick was used to Harry's style of duelling, but now Harry was using more of his power and an extra wand, though was still holding back anything that could maim or kill.

This latter fact frustrated Harry as most of what he was learning from Godric and the others was firmly in the lethal category. He was handicapping himself to weak spells, when what he would need in the upcoming war was dangerous, deadly magic.

Harry felt Fleur behind him change her tactics, with his magical sight he saw the two of them surrounded by layers of magic, much like Flitwick was and so Harry figured Fleur was finished making their defences. She darted to their right, moving around the still standing stone wall to keep herself from sight.

Harry moved left, keeping a steady stream of accurate fire at Flitwick, forcing him to deflect or shield his spells. His aim was to tire the duelling master, keep him distracted while Fleur or the Matagot he had conjured earlier could take him.

Harry's magic sight showed the layers of magic around Flitwick fade, one by one taken down and Harry's eyes flicked over to Fleur, flicking her wand with a frown taking down the Professor's defences.

Finally, Flitwick was overwhelmed by spell fire when Fleur jumped out from behind her stone wall and attacked the duelling master from a different direction to Harry, forcing Flitwick into an unfavourable position.

Moments later the Matagot pounced on Flitwick from behind bearing him to the ground.

Harry rushed to send the Matagot away not having given it instructions to not harm their opponents. He hit Flitwick with a stunner while Fleur hit him with an incarcerous charm at the same time.

This left the two alone in the ruined arena, smoke rising from scorch marks present all over the field from the sheer volume of spells Harry had been throwing.

Harry watched Fleur move to him, with all the grace of a hunting cat and a grin stretching across her face.

Harry met her halfway, beside the fallen stone wall and pulled her into an embrace, his hands going to her waist while hers wrapped around his neck as they leaned into a kiss.

What was first going to be a celebratory kiss, grew heated and passionate within moments. The adrenaline and excitement of the duel transferring into passion.

Fleur spun him to the side, pushing him into the nearby standing section of stone wall. Her lips attacked his as he was pushed up against the wall with nowhere to go. One hand gripped her waist while his other hand went up her back to run through her silver hair.

Harry didn't know if it was only moments or hours later that she pulled away from him, her lips red and puffy and he was sure they would both be bruised later from the force they had been kissing with.

They each wore a grin as they stared into each other's eyes.

'Wow.' Both said at the same time before giving a small laugh at each other as they caught their breath.

Harry looked around them at the smoking arena and their fallen opponents.

'Do you think we should go wake them up?' Harry asked, hesitation in his voice as he saw the hungry expression Fleur wore as she watched him.

'Oui, we should. Otherwise I may do something I regret.' She admitted, her cheeks red, followed by his own a moment later.

Harry moved over to Sirius and Remus while Fleur went to Flitwick. Within a few minutes, everyone was up and recovered from their duel.

'Good work Mister Potter and Miss Delacour. Congratulations.' Flitwick beamed at the two while Sirius and Remus nodded beside him.

'Very impressive Harry, Fleur. You two did an amazing job.' Sirius grinned as he gave them both a hug before pulling back.

'Moony is still a bit sore about what you did to him earlier.' Sirius stage whispered before getting the back of his head slapped by the werewolf.

'I believe it is time for dinner, again, brilliant work you two. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.' Flitwick announced as he gave them all a nod before leaving the room, followed by Sirius and Remus. Sirius was gesturing wildly about how exciting the fight was while Remus rolled his eyes with a smile.

Harry leaned over to whisper in Fleur's ear.

'It's almost as if Sirius forgets Remus was in the same fight.'

Fleur nodded before taking his hand and following the others from a distance.

'We will dine with your friends tonight 'Arry. I'm sure they will be glad to see you.' She said and Harry grinned, pulling her into a side hug as they walked.

'I'm sure they will, I haven't seen them for a while now.' He admitted and she frowned at him.

'Do you not stay in the same dorms?' she asked, cocking her head.

Harry rubbed the back of his head with a free hand.

'Well, about that. I haven't stayed in the Gryffindor Dorms since returning to Hogwarts.' He explained, suddenly shy.

After a few moments of silence, he turned and saw an expectant expression on her face, then sighed.

'Okay, well. Godric told me where his secret room was, like Salazar's was the Chamber of Secrets. So, I've stayed in Godric's room since coming back to Hogwarts. It makes it easier to do my rituals and the bed is way comfier, and I don't have to listen to Ron's snores.' Harry rushed to explain as a bright smile appeared on her face, but Harry wasn't fooled.

He'd just walked into a trap.

'Were you going to tell me about this room? Is the room safe?' she had a glint in her eye that worried Harry and he sighed, running a hand through his hair while his other hand was still holding Fleur's.

'The room is safe, nobody knows it exists, though it's not far enough away from everyone to use for your transformations. As to telling you, I was actually going to show you in a few days when we move you into the Chamber.'

'Oh? Why then?' she arched an eyebrow as they walked.

'Well… you see…' he trailed off, his face growing red.

Fleur just raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to speak.

'Its just that…' he trailed off again.

'Ithoughtthatmaybeyouwouldstayinmyroomswithme.' Harry said, his face burning as Fleur's eyes widened.

'Please 'Arry, say that again?' she whispered, stopping in the middle of the empty hallway.

Harry took a deep breath, fighting his blush.

'I was thinking that after we move you down into the Chamber and we get some control over your Angelic side, we both sleep in Godric's room.' He said, his eyes on the stone floor and his face red.

'It's just that, I really enjoyed those few hours we slept in your room. Just s-sleeping mind you.' He stammered before her finger lifted his chin, raising his gaze to meet hers.

''Arry, I would love to stay in your rooms once we get my _angelic_ side under control as you say.' She agreed, beaming at him.

Harry could feel the happiness rolling out of her and marvelled at the change. He loved it when she beamed at him like that and resolved to make it happen as much as possible.

'When we get access to the Chamber, it won't take too long to get this new power under control. I figure while in the Chamber you can unshackle all of your power and you can give it your all.' He murmured and tears gathered in her eyes.

Confused, Harry smiled at her. He held her waist with both hands, bringing her close to him.

'I figure that you've never been able to really push yourself, having to reign in your allure and all. Down in the Chamber, I figure you'll be safe to let it all go and use everything you've got. A couple days in the Chamber and I'm sure you'll have your angelic side under control.' He whispered and she wrapped her arms around him, and he could feel her allure running free, unrestrained as she pulled him into a searing kiss that left him blinking when she pulled away.

'Come 'Arry, do you not want dinner?' she asked with a wink, he blinked and shook his head before taking her outstretched hand. Together they entered the great hall and they joined Ron and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Harry noticed much of the hall staring at Fleur with glazed eyes as they sat down in front of Ron and Hermione. He leant over and whispered in Fleur's ear.

'As much as I hate to say it, you probably need to clamp down on your allure, most of the school is drooling.' He wore a grin and she blushed.

It was the most adorable thing he had ever seen.

'It never used to be this bad.' She muttered with a frown; Harry could see it took a lot of focus to clamp down on her power.

Within moments, the school seemed to snap out of a daze and returned to their food.

Ron however still stared, scoring an elbow in the ribs from Hermione and a disapproving huff.

Harry kicked his friend's shin and the redhead woke from his daze, shaking his head to clear it before digging into a piece of chicken on his plate.

Harry turned to Fleur and they both smiled.

It would take some work, but everything would end up okay.

He was sure of it.


	30. Chapter 30 - A Hard Question

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 30: A Hard Question.**

Two days later, after dinner Harry led Fleur down toward the Chamber of Secrets. Remus had told them during their earlier training that he had finished clearing it out. The werewolf had told them the Chamber had been filled with all manner of dark and dodgy stuff, whether it was from a teenage Voldemort being messy or left there by Slytherin, he couldn't tell.

However, there had also been a massive amount of previously unknown literature, including a handful of tomes written in what Dumbledore assumed was Parseltongue. That had confused Harry, but figured that it was a language, why not write it down?

Of course, he wasn't a linguist so the logistics of writing a language for hissing was too confusing to contemplate.

They stood at the entrance-way of the Chamber and Harry couldn't help the smirk on his face as Fleur peered down the filthy pipe before turning and raising an eyebrow at him.

'Hey, I didn't make the place. If it were up to me, I would have made stairs for it.' He defended as she huffed.

He took her hand and gave a smile. Fleur rolled her eyes before a devious glint appeared in her eyes, without further warning, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled them both into the pipe where she clung to him as they slid down the slimy pipe.

A full minute later, the two stopped moving at the end of the pipe and Harry let out a groan as Fleur released him.

He rubbed his ribs.

'Damn you have a strong grip.' He groaned before shying away when she gave him a smirk.

'You 'aven't seen anything yet 'Arry.' She purred and Harry's his mind went blank for a moment, before groaning again and getting up and moving away from the pipe.

'So 'ow do we get out later? This Salazar didn't 'ave a Phoenix to get out did 'e?' Fleur asked, waving a wand over herself, and within moments was clean and pristine once more.

Harry blinked and turned back to her; he had taken a dozen steps away from the pipe.

'You are a genius.' He grinned and chuckled when she just raised her eyebrows at him as if to say, '_of course I am'._

Harry looked around the cave entrance they were in. He pointed to their left.

'The Chamber is over there.'

He turned to the right and cocked his head.

'I've never gone this way, maybe…' he trailed off as walked the opposite direction to the Chamber.

''Arry? Where are you going?' she started before she shrugged and with a huff darted after him.

Within a minute Harry felt like face palming.

There was a path leading out of the cave and he led the way, both wands drawn while Fleur followed behind with her own wand drawn.

''Arry?' she asked, only a whisper, even so the sound seemed to echo around them as if she had called it out.

'We took the Basilisk's entrance to the Chamber, which is why that pipe was so big. But Salazar would never lower himself to jumping down a pipe and levitating himself afterward to get out. This-' he gestured to the pathway they walked down.

'-this has to be his entrance, though I wonder where it comes out.' He finished.

'Does Godric remember whether the entrance was a girl's bathroom a thousand years ago?' Fleur asked, mirth in her eyes and Harry looked up, waiting for Godric's reply.

Godric's only reply was a loud guffaw in the affirmative.

'Apparently it was. Who would have thought a guy like that would either have a sense of humour, or be a perv? Huh, you learn something new every day.' Harry smirked before stopping as they came to an iron door.

The iron door had metal snakes writing across it.

'_Open.' _He hissed and the door groaned as it opened.

The door opened to reveal a passageway in what Harry recognised as part of the dungeons, but he didn't know where in the dungeons. Pulling out the Marauders map from his robes he checked their position.

'Here Fleur, we are deep in the dungeons, on the other side of the castle to both the Slytherin common room and the Hufflepuff common room which are here and there.' Harry explained, showing Fleur the map.

He loved the look of wonder on her face as she examined the map.

'What is this? It is amazing 'Arry.' She gushed, her fingers twitching to touch it.

'My dad and his friends made it when they came here. Here, you're better at charms and stuff than me. When we have time, see how it works and if we can make another one to experiment with.' He handed her the map and she took it with shaking hands.

'Are you sure 'Arry? You don't 'ave much of your parents' things. I do not want to damage it.' She whispered, trailing a finger across their names on the map.

'Hey, it's okay. It doesn't hurt as much anymore. I have something to look forward to now.' He said, guiding her back toward the entrance of the Chamber.

He stopped, looking at the portrait on the hallway side of the iron door.

It was of a creepy looking castle, built into a strange lone mountain with no others nearby. The mountain was tall, steep and thin, like a single finger sticking up out of the earth. The castle was surrounded by a dark foreboding forest, there were no living creatures in it except for a great black dragon circling the castle in the air breathing out a great blast of flame.

'That dragon makes our dragons at the first task look tiny.' Harry murmured and felt Fleur's hand take his own.

'Oui.' She breathed.

Beside the door was a statue of a Medusa's head, glaring at them with its headful of snakes.

'Okay, I think we'll figure out a path from here later. For now, let's get into that Chamber, shall we?' he asked, still holding her hand, she nodded and moved back into the passage that led to the Chamber.

The iron door closed behind them as they entered the passageway.

A few minutes later they found themselves back at the pipe and continued to the large black metal door which opened at Harry's spoken word.

The black metal doorway, large enough to fit the Basilisk through it wheeled open and revealed the Chamber of Secrets in all its glory.

But instead of the moody green lights that once lit the space, bright clear white lights gave off plenty of light to see by.

The Chamber now resembled the rest of the castle, though containing massive statues of Salazar's glaring visage and serpent sculptures covered most available surfaces.

''e really liked snakes…' Fleur breathed, and Harry laughed.

'Really? That's the first thing you say upon entering the fabled Chamber of Secrets?' Harry laughed, a wide grin on his face.

'I am not British, we at Beauxbatons do not worship the founders of your school. The Flamels founded ours, so while not quite as old as 'Ogwarts, it is just as prestigious.' She sniffed, her nose in the air.

Harry met her haughty gaze with raised eyebrows for a moment before both snorted.

'I do not miss having to put on an act.' Fleur murmured and Harry squeezed her hand, a half smile on his face as he pulled up the hand he held and kissed it.

'I'm sorry you felt you had to. I know something about having to put on an act.' He whispered and the two gazed at each other for a moment before Harry shook his head, blinking.

He turned back to the Chamber, missing the worried expression on Fleur's face.

Harry led them deeper into the Chamber and noticed a small tent off to their right-hand side, near a channel where the water that ran out of the Chamber. Harry figured the channel led out to a sewer system of some kind but shrugged as he moved toward the tent.

Taking a deep breath, Harry led the way into the tent and found it to be like the other wizarding tents he had seen at the Quidditch World Cup.

It was bigger on the inside.

The entrance to the tent was a large lounge room/study with couches and a coffee table in the centre and the walls were covered with empty bookshelves. There was an aged writing desk against the left wall with a few cupboards around it. Directly in front of them there was an open door that led into a bathroom while on either side of the bathroom there were stairs leading up to a second floor.

Fleur took his hand and led him upstairs without a moments hesitation to find the upstairs section of the tent was a single large room with a queen size bed in the middle.

'Well, at least this place is better than having to look at Salazar Slytherin's face all day.' Harry remarked with a smirk.

He felt his hand in Fleur's grasp tighten and she turned him to face her.

'As far as I am concerned 'Arry, this place is where we will stay until I can control my transformation. Afterward I expect to be shown this special area of yours. What better protection can I ask for when I am asleep?' she asked with raised eyebrows.

'Especially as it seems the spirits can monitor the outside world for us.' She finished and he nodded, a blush on his face.

Fleur sighed, pulling him into a hug.

'We won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable.' She pulled back from her hug with a vulnerable expression on her face.

'I enjoyed being in your arms the other night.' She whispered.

Harry sighed with a smile before giving her a chaste kiss.

'All right. But if anybody asks, it's your fault.' He bargained and she laughed.

He adored that laugh.

Fleur smirked and nodded.

'We'll deal with that later, right now, I just want to spend some time together.' She grinned and pulled him toward the bed, sitting down and pulling him after her.

Once they were both laying down, Fleur lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes while holding his arm.

He smiled, enjoying the feeling of being close to her.

'It's nice being able to just relax in private. Not 'aving to worry about the rest of the world, it's just us.' She murmured as she released his arm to snuggle into his chest, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close.

Harry smiled before kissing the top of her head, his body relaxing in her close presence.

After a few minutes of silence, Harry let out a sigh without meaning to.

Fleur pulled herself up on her elbows to look at Harry, a frown on her perfect face.

'Seriously 'Arry? You can't keep your mind off everything else for more than a few minutes?'

Harry retreated from her annoyance, cringing and looking away at the door. He released his hold on her shoulder and tried to get off the bed.

'I'm sorry, I'm not good-' he stopped mid-sentence as Fleur's finger rested on his lips.

Harry turned his wide-eyed gaze back to Fleur, tearing it from the door. The anger and disappointment he expected to see on her face weren't there.

Instead he saw shame and regret.

She held the arm that had been wrapped around her shoulders in her hands, refusing to release him.

'You may never finish that sentence 'Arry. I 'ave chosen you, so of course you deserve me, that's not even in question.' She stated with such confidence that Harry blinked in surprise.

He felt himself lost in her sapphire gaze before a frown came over her face.

''Arry, I do not know all of what 'appened at the Dursleys. I do not know everything that they did to you throughout your childhood. But I know enough to believe that they are monsters who did unspeakable things, no child should be treated like you were, in any circumstance.'

Harry watched her face as she spoke, there was a spark in her eyes he had seen before, it had been increasingly visible as time went on. But he still didn't know what it was, it was like she was trying to tell him something with that expression alone, more than her words.

Fleur pulled back from him, her face showing shock, followed by horror. She took a breath and a look of determination covered her face as Harry looked on, confused at the emotions she was displaying.

Harry watched her elegant neck as she swallowed.

'What's wrong?' he asked, his voice soft.

'It's too soon.' She muttered, looking away from him.

Harry took a breath, shoving his own ragged emotions aside and moved back to the bed, laying down beside her on his side. His free hand moved to cup her cheek and turn her to face him with a gentle, yet firm motion so their eyes met.

'What's wrong?' he repeated, and she clenched her teeth before sighing.

'I need you to think carefully about my next question okay? If you don't 'ave an answer or you don't want to answer you don't have to. You're under no obligation to answer.' She said, Harry saw the worry and fear in her eyes and knew he would do anything to remove them.

He gave a confused nod as he waited to hear what was bothering her.

She gave another sigh, her body tense.

''Arry? 'as anyone ever told you they love you?' she asked and all the gears in Harry's head froze, not having expected the question.

He thought over his childhood with the Dursleys and scoffed internally. He moved on to his Hogwarts years to date and considered his interactions with his friends before his gaze returned to Fleur's own worried eyes.

Harry shook his head and saw the heartbreak on her face. He hurried to continue.

'Mrs Weasley has told me I'm like one of her sons and Ginny, another Weasley has had a crush on me since before she'd met me. Sirius is clearly devoted to me, but I don't remember him telling me anything about love.' He explained watching the tears fall from Fleur's face with a hopeless feeling growing inside him.

He reached out and pulled her close to his chest in a tight hug, she wrapped her arms around him as she sobbed into his shirt.

Harry kissed the top of her head.

'I know my parents loved me. They sacrificed their lives for me. I remember that every time the Dementors are around me.'

Fleur sobbed heavier into his chest and he held her tighter to his chest to reassure her.

'I understand, academically, that love can be romantic. Or family based, like siblings and such. But what other types of love are there? And how do you know that you're in love with someone, like romantically?' he went silent, holding Fleur close to him as he examined his thoughts and feelings.

After a few minutes, Fleur's sobs abated and she pulled away from his embrace, her eyes red and puffy. Harry couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face at seeing her normally perfect face so dishevelled.

Fleur leant forward, her lips touching his in a soft kiss before pulling back, a melancholy expression on her face.

''Arry, a normal child learns the answer to all those questions before they are ten, if their family are decent people. But Romantic love? It's 'arder, Veela are closer to our emotions than normal 'umans, so we know 'ow we feel. It is hard to explain to a non-Veela, but I will try.'

Her gaze never leaving Harry's emerald eyes, she settled beside him on the bed, one hand holding his.

'Love is when you think about the person and just smile, simply at the thought of them. There doesn't have to be any actions associated with the thought, just them by themselves.' She paused, her sapphire eyes shining with an unidentifiable emotion as her eyes locked on his.

'When you spend time with them, you are just happy, again, with no actions associated with them, just being in their company.' She flicked a strand of silver hair out of her face and Harry lost himself in her eyes, a soft smile on his lips.

'These can point to a close friendship, which is another type of love.' Harry nodded, his thoughts drifting for a moment onto Hermione for a moment before he focused on Fleur again.

'But I feel the most important aspect of love, and the aspect that makes it the romantic sort is that you can see yourself with them, many years in the future, living happily together. You don't have to imagine children or a house or anything else, just the two of you.' Harry nodded, the image in his mind at that moment etching itself into his very being.

'If that image is enough to make you smile, the image of the two of you together, old and having lived long lives filled with heartbreak and happiness. Then that is my understanding of love.' Fleur finished; her eyes dark as they flicked down to his lips before back up to his eyes.

Harry met her gaze, a small smile on his face.

Fleur wore a small smile, though her cheeks were red. She pulled back breaking contact with his eyes.

'Perhaps we should get up and do some training or something…' she trailed off, the red in her cheeks spreading to the rest of her face.

Harry's hand shot out and took hers before she could get off the bed. With a gentle tug he pulled her back to her spot on the bed. She still didn't meet his gaze, her face turned away from him to hide her blush.

Harry felt a small grin flicker on his face for a moment before he trailed his hand up her shoulder, cupping her chin and turning her face to meet his gaze.

'Fleur Delacour, according to your definition of love…' he paused, emerald eyes locked onto sapphire.

'I love you; I think I have for some time now.' He finished and her brilliant smile lit up the room as she launched herself at him, pushing him down onto the bed underneath her. Her lips crashing against his with a passion he hadn't felt from her before.

He didn't know how long they kissed for, he lost track of time as soon as their lips met. But at some stage she released his lips and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

'I love you too 'Arry.' She whispered in his ear, sending a shiver across his body.

Fleur pulled away from him to gaze into his eyes.

'I discovered that I did while writing you a letter over the summer. But I didn't want to do anything too soon. I mean, we 'aven't been together very long after all.' She trailed off, growing quiet toward the end.

Harry reached his hands up to hold both sides of her face, his fingers trailing into her silver hair. He pulled her down to him, silencing her with a kiss.

'I agree, we haven't been together very long, but I figured the bond had a lot to do with love. But I couldn't think of a way to bring it up without sounding like an idiot. Well that and not really knowing anything about love in general.' He said, holding her head in his hands.

'Veela mate for life, right?' he smirked, chuckling at her blush.

With a grin, Harry spun his legs over the side of the bed. He stood beside the bed, his hands in hers as he smiled down at her.

'I figure if we want to live through this whole mess our lives are, to live this life together like we want, we need to prepare.'

Fleur smiled at him and joined him beside the bed.

* * *

A few minutes later, Harry stood opposite Fleur, where the massive Basilisk had lain after he killed it in his second year.

Idly, he wondered what Salazar did with it during his short occupation of the Chamber of Secrets, then he shrugged and put it out of his mind.

'Okay, ready to transform?' Harry asked as Fleur let out a breath and nod.

Within moments, she shone as bright as the sun, forcing Harry to shield his eyes from the light. As it faded, he turned his gaze back to her as the light receded, eventually leaving her standing before him, light shining through her skin.

Her silver hair shone as it whipped around her as if on a windy day and brilliant white wings sprouted from her back that extended about two metres on either side. Her silver eyes glowed with restrained power as she watched him.

He smiled at her.

'You're beautiful.' He whispered and he saw a small smile appear on her face for a moment. Her expression seemed almost predatory and Harry fought the images in his mind, images he had seen in his dreams of her.

'Okay, can you try to focus all the allure onto me? We'll see if I can still resist you in this form.' he asked and she nodded, a frown marring her perfect features.

Harry felt a foreign thought enter his mind, battering away at his occlumency shields.

He smiled.

'Can you push any more?'

Her frown grew deeper, the battering foreign thought grew stronger, more insistent. His occlumency barriers held it out, only just.

He knew his mental companions were analysing everything and could imagine they would spend tonight going over everything they had learned.

'Okay, I'm going to let my occlumency barriers down.' Harry called; Fleur's frown held as she nodded.

He felt the foreign thought burst into him, the allure so much stronger than he had ever felt, but still oddly found no purchase, nothing to hold on to. The effect was much like her normal allure, it could never find purchase on his mind, leaving it to 'float' around his mind the only affect they could measure was an increase in libido. Though this effect could simply be his teenage body reacting to a beautiful woman in front of him.

* * *

Half an hour later, Fleur dropped to her knees. Her wings retracted and she reverted to her human form gasping for breath. Harry ran to her side, putting an arm around her shoulders, under her arm.

'Are you okay?' he whispered, as her eyes reverted to their sapphire blue, the final part of her to change back.

Her breathing was heavy as she tried to regain her breath.

'Yes, just couldn't 'old the transformation any longer.' She gasped, closing her eyes.

'So, we have a time limit then? We were pushing your allure pretty hard.'

Fleur opened her eyes and met Harry's gaze. Her eyes looked exhausted.

'Did you forget that I can fly with these wings? Are you jealous 'Arry?' she shot, looking like she would fall asleep any moment.

Harry scooped her up in his arms, her body almost limp.

'I'm terribly jealous, being able to fly under your own power? That is amazing.' He murmured as he carried her back to the tent.

'I also noticed that your spells seem to be far more powerful in your alpha form as well.' He said with a smile at her half-asleep face, watching him as he carried her.

'Don't worry Fleur, we'll get plenty of practice with your new form and get you comfortable with it. Soon you'll be flying around with ease while I'm stuck on the ground, watching.' He whispered as he carried her into their room, laying her down on the bed.

He smiled as moments later, she rolled over on her side and fell asleep. Her breathing soft and steady. Harry watched her for a minute before tucking the blanket around her, keeping her warm.

He took a step back, a smile on his face before he leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead.

'I love you Fleur, sleep well.' He stood and turned to leave the room as Fawkes flamed into the room, landing on Harry's shoulder and flamed away before Harry had a chance to do anything else.

* * *

Harry blinked, finding himself in the headmaster's office. He looked around him, disoriented and shook his head.

'Harry my boy, are you okay?' Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded.

'Yeah, just getting my bearings, what's going on?' he asked and saw the grim expression on Dumbledore's face.

'The Ministry is under attack, the Aurors and Order are on their way. I need your help.' The elderly headmaster said, and Harry nodded.

Harry stepped toward the fireplace, beside Dumbledore.

'What do I need to do?'

The headmaster looked down at Harry with a sad expression, though pride was evident in his eyes.

'I need you to help anyone you can. Do not hunt down any enemies you find, just protect whoever you can.' Harry nodded.

'I understand. How am I getting there?' he asked as Fawkes landed on his shoulder.

'Well, there's my answer I suppose.' Harry grinned at the scarlet bird.

'Harry, I will be using the Floo. Remember, be safe.' Dumbledore said as he strode into the Floo.

Harry smiled at the phoenix on his shoulder.

'You know that you're my second favourite bird, right?' Harry grinned as Fawkes puffed up his feathers in annoyance.

A moment later, Fawkes flamed them out of the headmaster's office.

Harry felt himself falling through the air for a second before crashing into the garish golden fountain of magical brethren in the atrium of the British Ministry of Magic.


	31. Chapter 31 - The Atrium

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 31: The Atrium.**

Harry gasped, only to choke as he inhaled a mouthful of water. He jumped up, out of the fountain, spraying water all around him and glared up at Fawkes as the phoenix circled high above him.

He looked at his surroundings and within a moment he drew both wands as he saw Death Eaters streaming into the atrium from a doorway to his left.

The Atrium contained almost two dozen people who Harry assumed were Ministry workers milling near the fountain where Harry stood, dripping wet after his explosive entrance.

Behind him were the Floo fireplaces about thirty metres away, a bottleneck security checkpoint between them. There were another half dozen Ministry workers trying to push their way through the unguarded checkpoint toward the Floo.

In front of Harry were a handful of doorways leading to other sections of the ministry of Magic. But standing out were two larger doorways, one of which had Death Eaters streaming from it, five had already poured into the room and a couple were enjoying using the Cruciatus curse on a hapless Ministry worker who hadn't been with the others.

'Get to the Floo, go get help.' Harry called, pointing toward the Floo.

The startled Ministry workers stared at him in shock and Harry growled when most of them stood in place and there were murmurs of '_Harry Potter_' echo through them.

'Now!' Harry shouted before turning to the incoming Death Eaters and fired a Reducto at the Death Eater using the Crucio, it hit the shoulder of his wand arm before exploding, removing the arm from the rest of the man.

The Death Eater dropped to the floor with a scream, his free arm grabbing at his shoulder where his wand arm used to be.

The second Death Eater turned toward Harry only to be bound and stunned on the floor beside his screaming partner, his wand sailing through the air into Harry's hand as it shot out before pocketing the wand.

Then his hand was out once more, joining his other wand in firing a stream of powerful magic at the incoming Death Eaters.

'Somebody take this man, he needs to get to Saint Mungo's now!' Harry called over his shoulder to the scared mass of Ministry workers behind him.

Harry was glad to see two Aurors dart out from behind him to collect the twitching Ministry worker before levitating him back amongst the mass behind Harry.

'All of you leave now, I've got your back.' Harry called out, batting away an organ liquifying curse which flashed off to crash into the marble wall of the Atrium.

A handful of other lethal spells were batted aside a moment later as Harry turned his full attention back to the Death Eaters which he had pinned down near the doorway they entered the Atrium from.

Harry narrowed his emerald eyes; the Death Eaters were good, and he remembered they seemed to be better the last time he fought them on the trains roof. But right now, he was all over them and he wondered if he had improved that much or perhaps these were just new recruits.

Still hearing the mass of people behind him, Harry scowled in irritation.

'Aurors, get those people out of this Atrium, take them all to the Leaky Cauldron for all I care. But get them anywhere but here.' He shouted and risked a glance over his shoulder to make eye contact with one of the Aurors, the woman was young, barely out of Hogwarts it seemed.

'Now!' Harry shouted and the young woman jumped, nodded and turned away from Harry, directing the scared and cowering workers away from the battle.

Harry glanced at the other Auror, just as young and clenched his jaw.

'Where are people trapped? Do you know?' the young Auror shook his head, his eyes wide as a spell splashed harmlessly on Harry's shield behind him.

'I-I don't know, unless you check room by r-room, it's too hard to tell.' The young male Auror's face paled and they stepped away from Harry in terror.

Just then, a scream erupted from the cowering mass of Ministry workers and Harry spun to see the unnaturally pale visage of Voldemort's face enter the Atrium, a dozen Death Eaters behind him.

'Get them out of here, I'll distract Voldemort.' Harry whispered to the Auror who kept moving away in terror.

Harry put the people behind him out of his mind. Focusing on Voldemort who looked less like a snake now, he even had a nose. He looked like a combination of the Tom Riddle from his Diary from Harry's second year and the pale, hairless man who had been reborn in the graveyard only months before.

'_Do not provoke him Harry.'_ Merlin urged in his mind. Harry clenched his jaw and watched as Voldemort was followed into the room by a dozen Death Eaters each of the white masked followers holding their wands in front of them.

'_Hold your ground at this time young one._' Godric urged and Harry's hands tightened around his wands as he clamped down on his urge to attack the Dark Lord and his followers.

'_Now is not the time for your revenge young Harry, but it will come, later.'_ Arthur murmured and Harry narrowed his eyes, watching the Dark Lord for any sign he was about to attack.

He couldn't hear the shuffling of the Ministry workers behind him anymore and smothered a growl as the foolishness of the British wizarding population became more evident to him.

'Harry Potter.' Voldemort almost purred, his voice easy to hear across the atrium. Any bystanders who hadn't stopped by then did so and stared as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named faced off against The-Boy-Who-Lived.

'_Buy as much time as you can._' Merlin urged.

'Why did you come here?' Harry asked, his wands ready to use with a thought, still standing on the rim of the fountain as he watched his parents' murderer with narrowed eyes.

Voldemort wore a cruel smirk as he held out a small glowing sphere from a pocket in his robes.

'This, Harry Potter, is the prophecy we are both subject to.' Voldemort's cruel smirk widened as Harry's eyes narrowed further at the reborn Dark Lord.

'Really? A prophecy? I took Divination last year and even I know how useless that class is. Do you seriously believe tea leaves can tell the future?' Harry deadpanned.

'_Careful…' _murmured Godric.

Voldemort's crimson eyes narrowed at Harry, his grin turning feral and Harry was sure he couldn't keep the madman talking much longer.

'This is to be the last time we cross wands, Harry Potter.' Voldemort stepped toward Harry before a large doorway to Harry's right opened.

Through the new doorway a new figure moved through the doorway, flanked by eight Dementors. But these weren't normal Dementors, Harry stared at them in shock.

These Dementors wore heavy black armour and each bore a black sword as they surrounded the newcomer.

The newcomer looked familiar to Harry, but he couldn't place him. He was just over six feet tall with a powerful frame. The man wore a black crown over his light brown hair and a light grazing of stubble covered his jaw. If the man wasn't surrounded by Dementors and wearing a hateful glare Harry was sure he could have passed for a handsome roguish figure.

The power of these Dementors tore away at Harry's occlumency barriers. Somehow, they were far more powerful than the Dementors he had seen in his third year.

One of the Dementors looked at him, its hidden face turned toward him, and Harry knew that it was watching him.

It stared at him, its gaze never wavering, and Harry clenched his jaw, knowing that his knuckles were white around his wands by how tight he held them.

'This Ministry of Magic is mine by birthright.' The newcomer snarled at the room, facing Voldemort who cocked his head at the black crowned man with a curious expression.

The newcomer waved a careless hand toward Harry and the cowering Ministry workers behind him and four of the armoured Dementors left the circle around him to glide across the room.

Harry's eyes darted around the atrium as he watched the four armoured Dementors heading toward the cowering people behind him. The newcomer moved toward an amused Voldemort, the other four armoured Dementors following him.

'Who are you to claim this Ministry?' Voldemort asked, curiosity evident as his crimson eyes narrowed at the man.

'I am Mordred, rightful King of Britain.' The man snarled, before drawing a long blade from his side and throwing out a hand toward the Death Eaters beside Voldemort and one fell to the ground clutching his throat.

Voldemort's eyes widened for a moment before a smirk crossed his face.

'_Mordred? He's changed his appearance somewhat.'_ Arthur murmured before Merlin overrode him.

'_Harry, deal with those Dementors.'_

Harry saw no more of Voldemort and Mordred as he turned to the cowering mass of people behind him.

'Run!' he screamed before leaping off the fountain toward the oncoming four armoured Dementors.

With a flick of his Holly wand and a mental command, a brilliant silver stag burst out into the space between Harry and the Dementors. The stag leapt at the Dementors and dissipated as it connected with the armoured creatures.

Harry froze, disbelief flooded him as his only weapon against Dementors had no effect.

He stood, rooted to the spot as the four Dementors glided past him, ignoring him on their way to the still cowering mass of people behind him as some of them pushed past the others on the way to the Floo terminal.

'_Call my sword young one, it might have more effect.'_ Godric suggested, though Harry could hear the desperation in his tone.

However, Harry figured if the sword impregnated with Basilisk Venom can't kill a Dementor, what could?

Harry returned his wands to their holsters and held out a hand, mentally calling for the sword of Godric Gryffindor which hung at that moment in Dumbledore's office.

The sword materialised in his outstretched hand, forming as if made of silver dust. Within moments Harry held the sword he'd used to kill a thousand-year-old Basilisk.

Then he leapt forward, toward the armoured Dementors as they moved without a sound toward the cowering people in front of them.

He swung the shining sword at one of the Dementors which spun at the last second, taking Harry's strike on its own black sword. Though now Harry was closer to the monster's sword, it was a deep red, so deep it was almost black.

Harry glared at the creature while the other three moved toward the terrified people and Harry knew he didn't have time to pace himself.

He had been trained with a sword by both Godric and Arthur and Harry knew he was good. But the armoured Dementor had an unholy strength that Harry's few rituals could not match.

Harry clenched his jaw as he took a breath, steadying himself, knowing that he had to rely on skill rather than strength in this battle.

He darted toward the Dementor and feinted to the side, the creature fell for the feint and Harry thrust the sword through the things face. An ear-splitting scream erupted through the atrium, shocking most of the cowering people in front of him into their own screams as they held their hands over their ears.

The scream tore at Harry's soul, piercing through his occlumency but it only lasted for a few moments before it cut off. The creature erupted in an explosion of shadows and cloth, its armour and sword falling to the marble floor of the atrium with a loud clatter.

Harry looked up at the other three Dementors, horror on his face as he saw the three had each skewered the young female Auror as she had tried to get the cowering Ministry workers to safety.

The young woman had three black swords piercing her, each held by an armoured Dementor, each frozen in place and staring at Harry standing above the empty armour of one of their kin.

All three creatures drew their swords from the dead Auror, but while their swords had before been almost black, they were now a glowing red. The glow shining out from underneath the blood of the young Auror that dripped off the swords.

As one, the three armoured Dementors moved toward him with an eerie silence, while the rest of the atrium with filled with sounds.

Harry heard screams as Death Eaters fought the other armoured Dementors while Voldemort and Mordred clashed. He heard the terrified mutterings and mantras the Ministry workers nearby whispered to themselves. But he blocked out the sounds of the room, focussing his attention on the three monsters in front of him, their movements in sync with each other.

'_Merlin, how else can I fight these things? Why doesn't the Patronus work? Godric, what else does this sword do? Anything that can help me in this situation?'_ Harry asked in his mind as he activated his ritual tattoos that enhanced his strength and speed.

An _Uruz_ rune blared to life on his forearm, shining bright white light through his outer robe. The rune looked like a simple doorway with one side lower than the other. His other tattoos burst to life a moment later and Harry leapt at the approaching Dementors with iron hard determination etched on his face.

Harry swung with his sword, going for a one-handed swipe to start. The first Dementor parried the blow, batting Harry's sword away forcing him to whirl away from the other two whose blades missed him by inches.

Harry's eyes widened, it like he was fighting one opponent spread over three bodies, their movements were so smooth. With a silent snarl, Harry thrust out his sword at the Dementor on his left only for the centre monster to intercept his strike and the other two struck out at him, both with pinpoint accuracy.

Harry pushed himself away from the three with a wandless banishing charm to the floor between them. The floor didn't move, thereby forcing him back instead.

Harry stood; his eyes narrowed as the three closed in toward him.

'_Guys…'_ he called in his mind, unsure how he could win this. Even his rituals weren't giving him the power to match these creatures in strength and their teamwork was astounding.

The power of the Dementors crashed into his barriers with renewed vigour and Harry felt himself stumble to his knees as the sound of his mother sacrificing herself entered his mind, along with the sound of Voldemort's high pitched pre return voice hissing '_Kill the Spare.'_

With a shake of his head, Harry forced his barriers up, strengthening them against the mental assault as he stood. A snarl on his lips as he held his sword with both hands.

The three struck out at him a moment later, each going for a different target. Harry parried the centre creature's strike, pushing it to the side as he stepped back with his left leg to avoid the left Dementor's attack. He ducked at the last moment to avoid the strike of the monster of his right, before bursting up to his feet, thrusting his sword up behind the guard of the rightmost creature into its chest, his sword cutting through the armour as if it weren't there.

The rightmost Dementor burst into a shower of shadows and cloth as its armour and sword clattered to the ground. The death shriek of the monster tore at Harry's soul and he once again launched himself away from the remaining two armoured Dementors with the aid of a wandless banishing charm.

He spun in the air like he had practised with Arthur for hours a few weeks earlier to land on his feet. One hand holding his head as he realised the creatures death shriek had torn his occlumency barriers to ribbons and the effects of the Dementors aura were taking hold of him. The sound of his mother's screams coming loud and fast into his consciousness.

He fell to one knee, his sword pointed into the ground as his other hand clutched his head. He knew he had only moments until the other two got to him. But his mind was defenceless, and he couldn't focus on both protecting his mind and fighting these creatures at the level he had been.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Voldemort fighting one on one with Mordred and couldn't hold back the fear he felt as he watched them move.

Voldemort was casting at insane speeds that Harry probably couldn't match, even with both wands against Voldemort's one. The spells were deflected with ease from the sword that Mordred used, except for the killing curses Voldemort used. Death Eaters intercepted those, summoned by Mordred to take the spell or if none were nearby, the reborn would-be King simply summoned or conjured a rock or piece of rubble to intercept the deadly green spell.

Mordred was so fast; Harry knew he couldn't match the man's speed and wouldn't last long against the would-be king. The thought struck a very real, very deep fear in Harry.

Harry noted the number of dead Death Eaters laying on the ground on that side of the room, the four armoured Dementors having slaughtered them with no losses to their side. It seemed Mordred's forces had the advantage in this battle.

The doorway Voldemort had entered through minutes earlier filled once more, though this time it was filled with the crimson robes of a few dozen Aurors, with Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody at their head.

The room froze as the combatants all looked to each other and Voldemort was the first to react. He snarled at the foes that surrounded him and with an ear-splitting crack, he and his Death Eaters, including the dead disappeared from the atrium.

Mordred took in the room, and Harry saw a small frown on his face as he noticed he had lost two Dementors when he glanced over to him. The reborn man sent a dark smirk at Dumbledore before clicking his fingers. At that signal, he and his six-remaining armoured Dementors faded into the shadows.

Harry took a rattling breath as the two Dementors above him faded into shadow moments before they would have struck him down. He let out his breath as he lay down on his back, staring at the vaulted decorative struts and pillars of the atrium. His ritual tattoos fading back into his skin as Harry released the sword of Gryffindor which faded away like silver dust in the wind.

Harry felt a tear fall from his eye, he had done everything he could, even with all his training he had been doing over the last few months. He had done the seemingly impossible and killed two Dementors, but he had also seen that he stood no chance yet at fighting either Voldemort or Mordred.

They were beyond him.

Doubt filled his heart, whether it was the aftereffects of the Dementors powers or the realisation that he was nowhere near his goal, he didn't know.

Maybe it was a mixture of the two.

The sight of Dumbledore standing over him, a concerned light in his eyes as he looked down at Harry interrupted his thoughts.

'Thank you, Harry, for protecting the people.' Harry closed his eyes and clenched his jaw before letting out a pained sigh.

'I didn't save them all.' He admitted, the guilt tearing away at him.

Dumbledore was about to say something, but Moody beat him to it.

'Kid, you can't expect to save everybody. Sure, you can try to, but you can't expect to. Doing that is pure arrogance. You don't strike me as a Malfoy, kid.' Moody growled and Harry blinked.

Then Moody looked around the damaged atrium and watched as a team of Aurors led away the cowering Ministry workers Harry had tried to protect.

The scarred man looked between Harry and Dumbledore.

'What the hell is going on here anyway? Who was the guy with the weird Dementors?' Moody growled, his fake eye whirling around in its socket, keeping watch on his surroundings.

Harry noticed Dumbledore giving him a similar, if less manic, look and Harry nodded. Taking a breath, Harry tried to sit up on the floor, but collapsed with a groan of pain.

'It was Mordred.' Harry started and Moody's good eye narrowed.

Dumbledore gave the man a look that said, '_I'll tell you later.'_ Moody gave a tiny nod to Dumbledore before looking back to Harry.

'_It appears that he has modified the Dementors, turning them into his new Black Knights.' _Merlin murmured and Harry groaned, pulling himself up to rest on his elbows.

'Okay Professors, Mordred has taken the Dementors from Azkaban, not Voldemort as we originally assumed. But he has changed them somehow, we haven't quite figured that part out yet.' Harry paused, his eyes growing heavy.

'We?' Moody narrowed his good eye; Dumbledore lay a hand on his shoulder and gave him the same look as before.

'Somehow, Mordred has made the Dementors immune to the Patronus charm.' He stopped as he saw Dumbledore's eyes widen.

'But how can we fight them if the Patronus doesn't work? Fiendfyre and the killing curse don't even work on those things.' Moody snarled and Harry nodded at the scarred man.

'I don't know Professor, not yet anyway. But Mordred is using the Dementors as his Black Knights as he did in life, meaning they will be numerous and the core of his forces. Everything else he has will revolve around them.' Harry explained; Moody clenched his jaw.

'How do know any of this boy?' the Auror growled and Harry looked to Dumbledore before tapping his head.

Dumbledore nodded.

'Alastor, I will tell you everything after we are done here.'

'Professor, there is more.' Harry interrupted from his spot on the ground, causing both men to turn back to him.

'Voldemort has some prophecy, apparently it was about the two of us. Is that the one you told me?' Harry asked and saw Dumbledore's eyes cloud over with a look of defeat before returning to normal and giving him a nod.

'Harry, can you return to my office with Fawkes and await my return?'

He gave a slow nod while Fawkes landed after having circled above him during the fight, ready to dive down at a moments notice.

Fawkes stood on Harry's chest, his large black eyes staring in Harry's own before Harry felt the strange sensation of flaming once more.

He opened his eyes to find himself in the headmaster's office once more and it was reassuring to see the room exactly as it was before he had gone off to fight monsters. Harry dragged himself from the floor toward a chair while Fawkes leapt off him, flapping twice to land on his perch where he stared at Harry as he tried to drag himself up into a chair in front of the headmaster's desk.

'Thanks, Fawkes, for everything you do to help. And I'm sorry about earlier, but you can't be my favourite bird. I have Hedwig, she would never forgive me.' Harry breathed as he relaxed into the chair, feeling his aching muscles protesting from his fight earlier.

Harry saw Fawkes watching him and got the impression that the bird thought he was an idiot. Then the Phoenix trilled a short song, helping Harry relax into the chair, lifting the lingering effects of the Dementors.

* * *

Twenty minutes later Dumbledore arrived out of the Floo, and Harry shot up out of his chair, his wands drawn and aimed at the old wizard. He had been dozing, the exhaustion of the day getting to him in the comfy chair.

With a groan, Harry realised what was happening and returned his wands to their holsters and sat back down, a hand on his sore shoulder.

The headmasters brightly coloured robes were covered in dirt, blood and ash as he sat down in his throne-like chair opposite Harry. Dumbledore sighed and took a lemon drop from a bowl on his desk, popping it in his mouth before gesturing for Harry to take one, returning the bowl to the table at a shake of Harry's head.

'The Ministry is now fully aware of the revival of Voldemort, and the arrival of other historical figures that escaped the underworld due to Voldemort's ritual.' Dumbledore started, before sighing and giving Harry a tired smile.

'Congratulations on your defence of the innocent.' He added with a heavy look in his eyes.

Harry blinked at the headmaster.

'Sorry, what? The Minister actually agreed about everything? I was sure he would ignore it.' Harry asked and saw Dumbledore give a small chuckle.

'It was a hard sell my boy, even with Voldemort running around the ministry. We convinced him that Voldemort is simply a part of the problem, that the ritual used was _supposed_ to bring them all back, rather than bring the others back as a side effect.' Harry blinked, then shook his head.

'I'll never understand that man, he seems to do the complete opposite of whatever is logical.' Harry groaned before leaning back in his chair.

'Harry, I must ask you, what else do you know of Mordred?' the old wizard asked, and Harry sighed.

'He worked to take the throne of Camelot which was the power-base of Britain at the time. But now that the Ministry is the seat of power in the country, that is his target.' Harry started, before going silent for a moment as Arthur whispered insights to him.

'Now that he has tried to capture the Ministry and was repulsed by multiple powerful foes, he will likely pull back to his base of operations and gather his forces. His next attack will have more than just the Dementor Knights.' Harry explained, while trying to pay attention to what Arthur was telling him.

'What forces will he gather? History doesn't have any accurate records dating back to that time, Unfortunately.' Dumbledore asked and Harry ran a hand through his hair.

'Mordred is likely to have Goblins who had once sworn an oath to help him conquer Britain. But because of their oaths to the Ministry, they can only assist Mordred in limited ways, at least that's what Godric tells me.' Harry groaned.

'Oh, and he may have trolls, he used them in his war against Arthur.' Harry fell back into his chair, a headache coming on.

Dumbledore nodded, steepling his fingers in front of closed eyes as he thought.

Harry watched as Dumbledore opened his eyes, a wary look on his face.

'What do you think Morgana will do next?'

Harry closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, listening to Merlin in his mind.

'We think she will likely attack the French Ministry before moving on to Avalon. There she will probably attempt a ritual to return Arthur to life. Though how that would work with him in my head, I don't know.' Harry trailed off, his mind whirling at everything going on around him.

'And Salazar?' Dumbledore asked, his eyes downcast.

Harry groaned again.

'Salazar will try to take Hogwarts again we believe. He will return in force, though we don't know where he is hiding at the moment. Actually…' Harry trailed off as a thought struck him.

'_Godric, would Salazar have claimed the centre of power of the Cabal after he eliminated them?' _Harry asked mentally.

'_I don't know, it's more likely than anything else I can think of. I'll work on it young one.'_ Godric said.

Harry turned his unfocused gaze back to Dumbledore.

'We have a lead on that one, but it may take a while for something to pan out.'

Dumbledore blinked at Harry before nodding.

'Harry my boy, I think it's time you got your rest.'

* * *

Harry nodded and made his way down to the Chamber. Upon stepping inside the tent, he froze.

Sitting on the couch in her nightgown sat Fleur, tear stains down her face and fire in her eyes as she saw Harry in the tent's doorway.

The silver haired witch flew toward him, enveloping him in a hug he flinched at.

She pulled back to see his dragonhide outfit torn and shredded, blood covering much of it.

''Arry? What 'appened?' she asked as she led him to the couch, forcing him to take a seat and undoing his top, peeling it off his blood slicked skin and tossing the garment to the floor.

Harry's headache had gotten worse during his trip down to the Chamber and as he looked down at his chest, he realised it was from blood loss.

He groaned.

'Long story short, the Ministry was under attack and Fawkes took me from beside you after you fell asleep. Voldemort and Mordred both attacked the Ministry at the same time and ended up fighting each other.' He started, flinching as Fleur dabbed a piece of cloth to the dozens of wounds on his skin, some much deeper than others.

''Ow did you get these wounds then, if those monsters fought each other?' she asked, her eyes narrowed as she worked on clearing away the blood and cleaning the wounds with a bowl of some strange potion she summoned from a cupboard on the other side of the room.

'Mordred has Dementors that he has changed in some way, these have the same powers as normal Dementors, but they also have armour and swords and are immune to the Patronus charm.' He explained and Fleur's hands froze, her gaze moving up to meet his.

'Immune?' he nodded at her and she swallowed before returning to cleaning his wounds with the potion.

Harry sighed, the sting of the potion as it disinfected his wounds barely more than a twinge. He found the sensation of Fleur's hands on his skin relaxing, regardless of the wounds he had.

'I must have gotten these cuts when I was fighting four of the Dementor Knights after Mordred sent them to kill innocent Ministry workers who were trapped in the atrium.' He continued.

'You fought them? 'Ow?' she asked and missed his grin.

'It turns out Godric's sword can kill Dementors.' Harry flinched as Fleur poked a deep cut.

'Ouch, sorry. So, yeah, after I discovered the Patronus doesn't work on them, Godric figured I should try his sword. So, I did and turns out the sword kills Dementors and is currently the only thing that can beat the Dementor Knights.' He explained as Fleur moved back and gave him an appraising look.

'You are all fixed 'Arry. Now, we shall get you showered and to sleep.' She ordered and Harry nodded, letting out a sigh.

Fleur led him upstairs to their room before pushing him into the bathroom.

''Arry? I can help you in the shower if you like?' she asked with a wicked grin, only for him to turn red.

'N-no, I-I'll be fine.' Harry mumbled as Fleur gave her musical laugh, shutting the bathroom door.


	32. Chapter 32 - Discovery

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 32: Discovery.**

Harry opened his eyes to find himself in an open field, ankle length green grass spread out as far as the eye could see without a cloud in the sky.

He blinked and Godric, Arthur and Merlin stood with wide smiles on their faces in front of him.

'Good work young one.' Godric clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder before stepping back while Arthur clasped Harry's forearm, which Harry returned.

'You did well in that fight young Harry. But we'll have to start working on your wandless magic soon. Without your wands you have only Godric's sword, which while clearly is impressive, it does have its limits.' Arthur nodded before Merlin gave Harry a nod and a smile.

'Good work against those monsters Harry. I haven't found a way to defeat the Dementor Knights without the sword just yet, but I will work on that when not training your flower.'

Harry grinned as a pair of arms entwined around his chest from behind and the smell of lavender entered his nose.

'Enough of that young lady, we have work to do.' Merlin grumbled with a small grin as he moved away from the group, not waiting for Fleur to let Harry go.

Harry turned in Fleur's embrace and gave her a lopsided grin.

'Work hard, we'll get plenty of time together in the morning.' He whispered in her ear and as he pulled back, she wore a wicked grin.

'I'll hold you to that Mister Potter.' She purred before releasing him and flouncing off to join Merlin.

Harry stood with a grin as he watched her walk away with a sway in her hips. Only stopping as a cough sounded in front of him.

He turned his gaze to Arthur and Godric standing in front of him and a blush worked its way up his cheeks and he lowered his gaze to the grass.

'Okay young one, now that any distractions are gone, we will continue on Battle Magic for the first half of our time.' Godric begun and Harry grinned, earning a chuckle from Arthur.

* * *

Harry woke in bed, his arms wrapped around Fleur's warm body, his legs entwined with hers. Harry froze as he realised where one of his hands was, sometime during the night it had found its way under her shirt and cupped her breast.

At once Harry was both horrified and excited.

He had never expected it to be so comfortable in his hand, soft, yet firm. He found he enjoyed the feeling of her breast in his hand and the temptation to squeeze and play with it was strong.

But at the same time, he was horrified. He hadn't meant to touch her, to take liberties with her.

How would she react when she woke? Not to mention he knew that evidence of how much he enjoyed the situation was currently pointing into her backside seeing as he had wrapped himself around her in the night.

A soft chuckle came from her as she wriggled her bottom against him. She turned in his arms, her lips in a devious smile as she moved forward to kiss him.

'Good morning, handsome.' She purred and he gulped.

He froze, his face bright red and eyes wide as she kissed him.

She pulled back, a pout on her face.

'You know, I rather enjoyed waking up like this 'Arry. It's one of the few times we're able to truly be alone, well except the voices in your 'ead that is.' She glared at his scar which he knew she associated with his mental companions.

Harry let out a breath, but still tense as his gaze focused on her with an intensity he rarely had.

'Are you sure that you're okay waking up with my hands, where they were?'

She beamed at him, darting her lips forward to kiss him.

'Completely sure 'Arry.' She purred as she kissed him again. Her eyes were filled with the unidentifiable emotion that he was coming to associate with love since their conversation the day before.

It was an expression he found so alien yet couldn't think of anything he wanted more than to see it in her eyes.

The two spent the next hour lying in bed in each other's arms before Fleur smirked at him.

'I am going to 'ave a shower 'Arry, would you like to join me?' she asked with a wink and he turned red.

'No, I think I'm going to need a cold shower after the morning we've had. Besides, I know you like your showers scalding.' Fleur pouted before crawling out of bed, removing her clothes as she walked across the room toward the bathroom, naked by the time she got there.

Once in the bathroom she poked her head out at Harry and give him a saucy wink before leaving the door open as she showered.

Harry groaned as he heard the shower turn on, his imagination running wild as to what was happening in the bathroom at the moment.

'Yep, definitely need that cold shower.' He groaned.

* * *

Harry and Fleur sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, seated across from Hermione and Ron. Ron still struggled to hold back his drooling while in Fleur's presence, even when she had her allure as controlled as she could. It looked as though Ron was particularly susceptible to its influence.

'Well, we have to go to potions, how did you get out of going to class anyway? We rarely ever see you anymore.' Ron groaned as he tried to finish his third plate full of food, to the disgust of everyone around him.

Harry ran a hand through his hair as he saw Hermione staring at him with wide eyes, awaiting the same answer. Fleur also wore a curious expression.

'Well, as I completed my OWLs over the summer, this year I'm supposed to be attending sixth year classes. But due to various circumstances, I'm not. Dumbledore and McGonagall both told me that as long as I complete the sixth-year exams before summer I'm fine.'

Hermione huffed.

'I do wish you'd take your studies more seriously Harry. Anyway, Ronald, we need to get to class.' She said as she stood, dragging Ron away from the table with them, leaving Harry and Fleur by themselves.

'I hope this whole thing is over by the end of the semester. But even if I fail my exams, I'll just do them with Ron and Hermione next year.' Harry muttered, his body sagging as Hermione left the great hall in a huff.

''Arry, you will pass your exams. Whether it is your mental companions or me assisting you is irrelevant. Besides, it is not your fault she is upset. You are a man, an adult dealing with adult issues my 'Arry. You do not need to worry about schoolwork, we will work together, in all things.' She declared and Harry gave her a smile and a nod.

'You're right. I just can't help but feel as my life is going to be completely different from here on, and that kind of scares me, you know?' he asked, turning to look into her sapphire eyes.

'Yes 'Arry, I do. And that is okay, but just know that you will always 'ave me next to you. I will not leave you, no matter what.' She squeezed his thigh with a hand, and he nodded, leaning in to kiss her.

'Okay, I've had enough sulking. Time to get started on the day, what do you think?' Harry asked, receiving a wide grin as Fleur stood, helping him to his feet.

Once on his feet, Harry gave Fleur a chaste kiss.

'Thank you, I don't think I'll ever get used to you always having my back.' Harry grinned as the two moved to leave the Great Hall.

'Always.' She smiled, her hand clasping his.

Harry grinned at her before looking where he was going.

'We should probably go to Dumbledore, see what he's up to before we get started.' At her nod the two made their way toward the Headmasters office.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Harry held the door for Fleur as she entered Dumbledore's office. He entered to see the old man standing over his desk, poring over maps. Seeing them, Dumbledore sat down in his throne-like chair with a deep sigh.

'Harry, Miss Delacour, good to see you. I have some news for you, but first, have you got any new information for me?' the headmaster asked, and Harry nodded, holding out a chair for Fleur to take a seat before taking one himself.

'It looks like Camelot is located on the outskirts of the City of Newport in Wales, though it is heavily warded so only those who already knew where it was will know it is even there. Unfortunately, that means Mordred knows and I think he's had plenty of time to get through them.' Harry started.

'The muggles call the ruins Caerleon, right beside the River Usk. Merlin put the warding up before Morgana trapped him. I believe the shielding wards work somewhat like Hogwarts own, the muggles and in Camelot's case, wizards, only see the ruins of the city. Until they get through the wards.' Harry sighed, giving a smile to Fleur who held a hand on his leg.

'I'm not sure if I will be able to get through the wards, seeing as I have never been there. But seeing as I have Merlin and Arthur in my head, I'm sure I can work something out.' Harry trailed off to see Dumbledore watching him with concern.

'Camelot is likely where Mordred went first, the Grail was left there according to both Merlin and Arthur, stored in an underground cavern. The Grail, if used, would likely have had the power to return the wraith of Mordred back to life.'

Dumbledore's head sunk into his hands as his face became a grimace.

'To think, the Holy Grail was real and has been used to return that monster to life. What else could it do?'

Harry watched the headmaster with concern.

'_The Grail is a dangerous temptation. There is a reason I never used it, even in the midst of losing a war.'_ Arthur murmured.

'_The Grail requires a sacrifice. A wish granted by the Grail requires a sacrifice of equal worth. Returning a spirit to life would be a mighty sacrifice, paid in blood.'_ Merlin added and Harry growled.

Dumbledore looked back at Harry, concern in his blue eyes.

'Harry?'

Harry blinked, controlling his temper.

'Sorry, I was being informed of what the Grail can do, and the cost of using it.' He paused as a thought came to him.

'Can you send someone to check out Newport, to check if there are any disappearances? The use of the Grail requires a sacrifice in blood. Returning a spirit to life would take rivers of blood.' Harry clenched his jaw and watched as the colour left the headmasters face, Fleur's not looking any better.

Harry leaned back in the chair and let out a deep sigh.

'About fifty kilometres south east of Camelot is the island of Avalon. Known to the muggles and current wizards as Glastonbury Tor. Originally, the whole area was swamps and rather uninviting until the Elves raised it from the ground and Avalon was constructed at its top. It acted as a tomb for them since long before Merlin and Arthur.' Harry paused, trying to translate what Merlin and Arthur were telling him into what he could explain to Fleur and Dumbledore.

'We believe that Morgana will be making her way to Avalon after she takes the French Ministry. I need to stop her from doing that.' Harry declared to stares from both Fleur and Dumbledore.

'Harry, are you sure? Do you think we are ready to take the fight to our enemies?' the headmaster asked with wide eyes.

Harry sighed.

'No, we are not ready, not yet. However, Avalon is a treasure trove of ancient relics from the Elves that will boost her already considerable powers. Remember, she was Merlin's apprentice. If she gets control of Avalon, she may become unstoppable.'

Dumbledore blinked.

The old wizard glanced between Fleur and Harry and blinked again.

'I understand that Monsieur Delacour is in the French Ministry's cabinet and so is in danger. But I don't want to tip our hand. Morgana is the only enemy so far that we haven't faced, the only one who may be taken by surprise.' Harry nodded at the old wizard.

'I agree, we will need surprise on our side to fight Morgana, perhaps more than the others. But we can't just sit back while the French Ministry falls, who knows how many people will die or will fall under her control if that happens?' Harry said and Fleur paled.

'They will 'ave the entire French Auror force in addition to our Department of Mysteries, everything…' she breathed, her eyes growing wide.

Dumbledore sighed, stroking his beard with his hand.

'Miss Delacour, how goes your training?'

Fleur regained some colour in her face, giving him a weak smile.

'My Alpha Veela form is mostly under control, and I can control my allure in this body as well. I can keep up with 'Arry in combat for the most part and I am far beyond him in wards, healing and charms.' She grinned at Harry who scowled and rolled his eyes.

Harry saw Dumbledore watching the two of them with worry before sighing.

'I will have people watching Camelot, Avalon and the French Ministry. But now there is something else we must discuss. The prophecy.' Dumbledore stated and Harry groaned.

'Professor, I think we are beyond the prophecy at this point.'

Dumbledore blinked.

'Sorry?'

Harry groaned again, settling as Fleur's hand squeezed his thigh.

'Sir, the prophecy states that Voldemort will mark me as his equal, he's done that.' Harry gestured at the scar on his forehead.

'I have the power he knows not, Battle Magic and eventually Grand Sorcery, not to mention three lifetimes of ancient knowledge he has never heard of. Knowledge is power after all.' Harry sighed.

'And, lastly, his Horcrux's are all gone, returned to him. He is less snakelike than he was at the graveyard. He is mortal, anyone can kill him now. The prophecy is worthless now. I haven't even mentioned the other enemies that have appeared.'

'I have no less than five enemies, each of them Dark Lords, or close enough. We are a bit beyond a prophecy made about Voldemort and me.' Harry finished and watched as Dumbledore fell back in his throne-like chair, a look of shock on his wizened face.

Harry looked between Dumbledore and Fleur before giving her a nod.

'If there is nothing else sir, we're going to get back to training. Fawkes will be able to collect us if you need. Good day.' Harry said, leading Fleur from the room and down into the corridors of the school toward the Room of Requirement.

''Arry? Don't you think you may have been a bit harsh on him at the end there?' Fleur asked with raised eyebrows. Harry sighed, nodding.

'Yes, you're right. I was, but I think I've stumbled onto something I rather wish I hadn't. Up until the graveyard, I have been tested every year with deadly situations, not to mention my horrible upbringing. These tests all point to Dumbledore, my first year I and my two friends made it through protections to the Philosophers stone, and I killed my defence professor to protect the stone. The professor had Voldemort inside him for the whole year.' Harry started and Fleur's eyes widened.

'My second year, one of Voldemort's Horcrux's, a Dairy, got into the school. It possessed a student who released a Basilisk into the school and opened the Chamber of Secrets, that only I could stop.' He paused and took a breath, watching Fleur's face filling with anger.

'My third year, Sirius escaped Azkaban where he had been wrongfully imprisoned for over a decade, something Dumbledore could have stopped, or fixed at any time.' A hiss came from Fleur as her hands clenched at her sides.

'My fourth year had me illegally entered into a death tournament against my will, he was in charge of not letting that sort of thing happen. Again, this isn't mentioning my early childhood at the Dursleys to which Dumbledore placed me there after my parents' death.' He saw the rage in her gaze, looking like the floor would soon catch on fire.

'Now, I'm starting to think he was preparing me for something. But as soon as the horcrux in my head was gone, replaced with Godric and the others, suddenly he is being super helpful and supportive. I think maybe, he was interpreting the prophecy in such a way that he would have me sacrifice myself to Voldemort to make him mortal before finishing him off himself.' Harry mused before trailing off.

'I just hope that isn't what his plans were. Because I rather like having him as an ally, I don't want him as yet another enemy. I hope that any sacrificial plans are permanently shelved.' He said, turning a corner to find themselves in the corridor containing the portrait of the dancing trolls.

Harry walked back and forth three times, opening the Room and holding the door for Fleur to enter.

They flopped down onto a wide comfortable chair where Fleur proceeded to sit on him.

'Now, 'Arry. This business with the 'Eadmaster sounds very bad. I do not like that he could have been doing all of this with the intent for you to die.' She started; her voice low as she considered what he had told her on the way there.

'No, neither do I. But think about it, as far as I know, not none of our spirits know how to remove a Horcrux from a living container without killing it. Which means it probably can't be done. So, I understand where he's coming from, it's terrifying, but at least I can understand his position.' He paused, running a hand across her leg.

'If it was actually his position in the first place. All we have is a hunch, a hunch that no longer plays any relevance because I don't have the Horcrux in me anymore.' He rubbed her leg, squeezing it a little as she stared at the dancing fireplace provided by the Room of Requirement.

Harry grinned, noticing that the room was similar to the Hall of the Brave.

''Arry, I cannot lose you. I won't let that 'appen.' She whispered and Harry frowned before squeezing her close to him in an embrace.

'You won't lose me, we're in this together. We'll win because we've got each other's backs, right?' he asked and was surprised at the tears in her eyes as she turned to wrap her arms around him.

Harry held her close to him for a few minutes, her heart racing against his chest.

A few minutes later, she relaxed in his arms. He pulled out of their embrace to meet her sapphire gaze.

'Is it hard? Being a Veela and feeling all of those emotions all the time?' she blinked but laughed, her musical laughter bringing a smile to his face.

'Oh 'Arry, it is not me being a Veela that is giving me all these emotions, it is just being a woman. As a Veela I am more aware of my feelings, and certain ones are heightened.' She grinned at the bewildered expression on his face.

'It is okay 'Arry, you are a man, I do not expect you to understand feelings.' She patted his arm with a smirk, then held her chin in her other hand.

'Though, for a man, you are rather skilled at reading my emotions. Or is that more due to your mental companions?' she asked, a faux scowl being sent at his scar.

Harry blinked.

'Uh.'

'_Good response young one. That will keep her guessing.'_ Godric groaned and Harry imagined the founder face planting into a desk.

Fleur laughed again, the musical sound filling the room as she leaned in to kiss Harry, but before he could respond she pulled away, grasping his hands and pulling him to his feet.

Just then, the door to the room opened, revealing Flitwick and Remus. The werewolf grinned at the two teens and looked around the room.

'This configuration looks nice, is it modelled off anywhere in particular?'

Harry grinned but shook his head. He hadn't shown Fleur the Hall of the Brave yet, so she didn't know they had been sitting in a rough copy.

'Nope, just something I've been thinking of. Anyway, I suppose we're up for some training till lunch?' Harry grinned, taking Fleur's hand.

* * *

As they finished their training, Remus and Flitwick left the two for lunch and their other duties. Leaving Harry and Fleur in the room by themselves for a moment before they too left. They shared an embrace and a chaste kiss though Fleur wrinkled her nose.

''Arry, after lunch we will bathe properly, but for right now, cleansing charms are in order.' She smirked at the faux offended expression he wore as she cast a handful of spells on him.

'What were those? I don't think I've learnt those ones. I assume they're taught in sixth or seventh year?' he asked, and she stared at him for a moment before closing her eyes and letting out an irritated huff.

'Yes 'Arry, I'm sorry. I forget that you don't have the basics down and that you've gone straight for the combat spells. I'm sorry.' She said, Harry's heart lurched at the mental berating he could imagine her engaging in.

'No, Fleur. You have nothing to be sorry for. It's not your fault, it must be so easy to assume I've got the spells from school down. Especially as I have one of the founders in my head. You've got nothing to be sorry for.' He said, his hand cupping her chin and forcing her eyes to meet his.

'Now, shall we finish up so we can go for lunch?' he asked, and she smiled at him, it didn't reach her eyes, but he could see she felt a little better.

* * *

Harry sat in the Great Hall, Fleur beside him while Ron and Hermione sat opposite them at the Gryffindor table.

Harry scowled at the thought of Fleur having to reign in her allure so much just to have a meal, he noticed a twitch of her eyebrows that he realised a few days before meant she was struggling to contain it.

On Harry's other side sat Gabrielle, though it was more her bouncing in her seat beside him. She hadn't made any friends at Hogwarts yet since arriving a few weeks before. She had only started venturing out of the Delacour's rooms with her mother in the last few days, but Harry was glad to have her joining her sister and him for lunch.

Luckily, Hermione knew French and she stared at Harry for five minutes after hearing Harry talking to Gabrielle in the language. While the two chatted, Fleur looked on with a wide grin at the sight of her sister with a bright smile, chatting with Harry.

'Harry, have you seen the paper today?' Hermione asked a few minutes later. Her eyes downcast and her voice soft enough he wasn't sure he had heard her.

'No, not yet. What are they saying now?' he asked as she passed the folded paper to him, not meeting his gaze.

Unfolding the paper, he skimmed through the front page and felt Fleur's hand resting on his thigh.

He let out a sigh.

_**He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returned.**_

_By Rita Skeeter._

_That's right dear readers. The rumours that have been flying around our country since the end of the Triwizard Tournament have now been proven true. _

_The Dark Lord attacked just last night, seen by no less than two dozen Aurors and dozens of Ministry officials. _

_On the scene of the battle was none other than the Boy-Who-Lived and Albus Dumbledore._

_But what's more than this is that there are more Dark Wizards in the world since that night at the close of the Triwizard Tournament. _

_I asked the Minister of Magic himself to answer some questions and he has confirmed that not only has He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returned, multiple historical Dark Lords have returned. _

_One of these Dark Lords (or in this case, Dark Lady) is none other than Morgan Le Fey (See page four for a historical account of her past). _

_She is responsible for the destruction of the Durmstrang Institute and the death of Viktor Krum, international Quidditch star and Triwizard Champion. _

_Since then she has also destroyed Beauxbatons Academy and gathered a large army to her of unknown make up, though rumours abound of Veela._

_Another of the Dark Lords that have returned is Mordred, the traitorous nephew of King Arthur of Camelot (See page seven on a historical account of Mordred and Arthur). _

_He was present in the Ministry of Magic last night and fought He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named while sending his forces to fight against the Boy-Who-Lived. While eventually fleeing in the face of Albus Dumbledore and the Aurors._

_Mordred is attributed to claiming that the British Ministry of Magic is his birthright._

_Finally, the last historical Dark Lord who has returned is Salazar Slytherin himself. _

_Details are slim on his return so far, but sources inside Hogwarts imply that none other than Albus Dumbledore and the Boy-Who-Lived fought Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets hidden beneath the school. (See page twelve for details on the previous times the Chamber of Secrets has been opened.)_

_The final death toll for last night's battle in the Ministry of Magic is twenty-eight._

_Of these twenty-eight losses, more than half have been attributed to Mordred's forces._

_Four Death Eaters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were captured by the Aurors and twelve were killed by Mordred's Forces._

Harry passed the paper to Fleur and sighed before meeting Hermione's gaze.

'At least something positive came out of last night.' He muttered; a look of horror appeared on Hermione's face at his words.

'How could you say that Harry?'

He shrugged, running a hand through his hair.

'At least now the Ministry can try to prepare. Up till now they had been putting the Death Eater attacks officially as a rising movement of malcontents, not admitting it was Voldemort. Also, accepting the existence of the other enemies I think is a good thing.' Harry explained, clenching his jaw as he considered the cost of the Ministry's reluctance to accept the truth.

Hermione broke eye contact with Harry and glared at her plate, muttering about too many deaths.

'Hermione.' Harry said, forcing her attention back on him.

'I know how terrible it is that so many people died, if I could have stopped it, I would have. But at least I saved a few dozen people, people who were able to go back home to their families after that ordeal.' He murmured and Hermione nodded.

Fleur prodded his shoulder before whispering in his ear.

'There's a story in here about the Hebridean Black Dragon Reserve in Scotland going dark, no one had heard from them for a few days. After someone checked on the reserve, they found it abandoned. The Dragons taken, and the Keepers killed.'

Harry blinked and turned to meet Fleur's gaze.

'Slytherin?' he asked, and she gave a grim nod.

'Does Parseltongue work with Dragons?' she asked, and Harry froze.

'Maybe. I wish I'd tried during the tournament.'

Fleur glanced back at the paper.

'You know how you said that Camelot was near a town in Wales?' she asked, and Harry nodded.

'Newport, why?'

Fleur handed him the paper, further into its articles and pointing at one that explained a mass exodus of muggles out of a city in southern Wales called Newport. The wizards and witches there reported sightings of Dementors.

Harry groaned.

'So, Mordred is in Camelot for sure then? Great.'

Harry stood with a sigh, passing the paper to Fleur while holding her hand and pulling Gabrielle to her feet as well.

'Sorry guys, no rest for the wicked. Something just came up. Can I borrow this Hermione?' he asked gesturing to the Prophet, she gave a slow nod.

'But Harry, you guys just sat down. We rarely see you anymore, won't you stay at least till we go to class?' she asked, looking sad.

Harry gave her a soft smile.

'I'm really sorry. But I don't think this can wait, hopefully we'll find a time soon where we can just hang out without horrible things happening. I'll see you later okay?' he smiled before leading the two Veela's out of the Great Hall by the hand, earning looks of jealousy and admiration from most of the males in the Great Hall and angry whispers from the female students of Hogwarts.

* * *

After dropping Gabrielle off with Apolline on their way to the Headmaster. Harry and Fleur entered the Headmasters office as Dumbledore stood hunched over his desk, poring over maps of Europe and larger maps of individual countries, large red X's sitting on parts of the maps.

The headmaster's eyes widened as they entered the room and he sat down in his throne-like chair with a weary sigh, one hand stroking his beard.

'Ah, Harry, Miss Delacour. A pleasure to see you again so soon. To what do I owe the pleasure?' Dumbledore asked, his eyes locked on Harry's.

Harry handed the prophet over to the headmaster.

'Pages seven and thirteen sir.'

Harry watched, one hand holding Fleur's as the headmaster read the two articles before putting the paper down and letting out another sigh. The man looked every day of his over one hundred years of age.

'So, we know where Mordred is based then. Is there a way we can defeat him and his Dementor Knights? What about the possible Goblins and Trolls?' Dumbledore asked with raised eyebrows.

Harry froze, he hadn't thought that far ahead. With a huff, he collapsed in one of the comfortable chairs in front of the headmaster, a scowl on his face.

'We can't just sit around while people die.'

He stopped and used his occlumency to contain his anger as Fleur put her hand on his thigh. Harry let out a deep breath and met the headmasters gaze again.

'Sorry.' He muttered and Dumbledore nodded with a soft smile.

'We cannot attack 'alf prepared. We need a way to defeat the Dementor Knights, without relying on Godric's Sword.' Fleur said, her voice soft and Harry nodded, directing the question to Merlin mentally.

'_I have an idea on that Harry, but I need to work on it. Leave me alone until it's ready.'_ Merlin grumbled and Harry blinked, he hadn't heard the ancient wizard so grouchy before.

'Sorry, Merlin is working on a solution to the Dementor Knights, but he's not ready yet.' Harry told the Headmaster, before putting up a hand to stop the old man from replying.

'_Young one,_ _I'm rather certain that Salazar's current base of operations lies within the centre of the Forbidden Forest. There is a fortress called the Black Citadel, the Cabal once used it at their seat of power, until Salazar killed them all. I had never been there before, but it's the only place apart from Hogwarts that I can imagine Salazar retreating to.'_ Godric explained and Harry blinked before turning to the Headmaster.

'Sir, do you know anything about a place called the Black Citadel?'

Dumbledore blinked.

'No, I don't believe so, why?'

Harry adjusted his seat before letting out a breath.

'It was apparently the seat of power for a group of wizards called the Cabal who opposed the construction of Hogwarts. Long story short, they fought the founders. Salazar then went and killed them all for their trouble.' He paused to take a breath.

'Apparently, the Black Citadel is in the centre of the Forbidden Forest, likely under heavy warding to keep it hidden until now.' Harry said, watching Dumbledore nod and scribble something down on a piece of paper.

'Thank you, Harry, and you too Godric. I will get some people on searching the Forest immediately.' The old wizard agreed before Harry leant forward in his chair.

'Sir, what about Grindelwald? What is he up to?'

Dumbledore sighed, waving his hand over the maps strewn across his desk.

'He has been sighted by various Order members. He seems to be collecting artefacts, The Sword of Damocles being the one that bothers me most. I don't know what he wants these artefacts for, they don't follow any sort of pattern I can discern.' Dumbledore leant back in his chair, a frown on his wrinkled face.

Harry nodded, knowing better than to push for more information.

He stood, holding Fleur's hand.

'We'll get back to training then, thank you for the chat Professor. We'll see you soon.'

Harry and Fleur left, their minds whirling as they went to the Room of Requirement.

'Want to have Dobby bring us lunch when we get to the room?' Harry asked while Fleur gave him the bright smile he loved so much.


	33. Chapter 33 - A Test

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 33: A Test.**

Harry woke two days later in the middle of the night. He had been working on Battle Magic with Godric only moments before. Blinking, he found himself in a dark room in bed with his arms wrapped around Fleur's warm body.

A moment later he realised his hands were each squeezing her full breasts, holding her close to him under the covers. During the night his hands must have found their way under her shirt and her legs were entwined with his own as he marvelled at the lavender smell of her hair.

An impatient chirping song interrupted his clouded mind and he blinked as he saw Fawkes perched at the end of the bed, gazing at him with his impassive black eyes.

After a moment Harry shook Fleur with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder.

'Fleur, wake up.' He called, leaping out of the bed.

Fleur blinked awake and stretched, causing Harry to freeze in the middle of putting on his pants as he watched her arch her back and provide him with a tantalising view.

''Arry?' she murmured, rubbing sleep out of her eye, then she saw Fawkes ruffle his feathers.

'Fawkes?' she asked, cocking her head before her eyes widened.

Seconds later, Fleur was rushing to clothe herself. Harry tightened his dragonhide outfit taken from the Hall of the Brave, then hurried to put on a fitted dragonhide utility vest over the top.

Finishing a minute before Fleur finished the same. Her dragonhide outfit was black and hugged her body, a gift from her parents after they had been brought up to speed with everything the teens were doing. Harry's vest had been a gift from them too, but it was dark red like the rest of his outfit was.

* * *

Within moments the two stood in Dumbledore's office, in a flash of flames, dressed for combat. In the office they saw Dumbledore wearing his usual garish robes as an unknown head disappeared from the fireplace.

'Apologies for the early wake up, but some order members have discovered the Black Citadel in the Forbidden Forest.' The old wizard explained as he petted Fawkes.

Harry nodded; his face impassive.

'Okay, are we going to attack the citadel or wait and watch for the moment?'

Dumbledore blinked before giving Harry a proud smile.

'I'm glad to see you showing some restraint my boy.'

Harry scowled at the old man as Fleur kissed his cheek with a smirk.

'It seems Salazar has a Basilisk roaming around the citadel and several Hebridean Black Dragons.' Harry's face grew pale as he shared a glance with Fleur.

'The prophet had an article about the dragons going missing from their reserve.' Harry breathed before taking a breath and getting himself under control.

Dumbledore sighed and stroked his beard with his long fingers.

'If we attack, we will need the Ministry's Aurors to support us.' the Headmaster turned his gaze to meet Harry's and his bright blue eyes bored into Harry's own emerald gaze, searching for something before pursing his lips and sighing.

'Harry, it is difficult to create a plan when I do not know how much you have improved since we fought Salazar the first time, nor how much you have improved yourself Miss Delacour.'

At Fleur's cocked head Dumbledore continued.

'While you were by far the most powerful witch seen at Beauxbatons for quite some time, compared to a trained Auror, you likely wouldn't have lasted long.' He started but held up his hands in a sign of surrender as Harry and Fleur tensed.

'However, I understand that Miss Delacour-' he nodded at Fleur while keeping his eyes on Harry.

'-has undergone similar improvements to you Harry, as such I am trying to determine where to place you both in the plan.' He paused, Harry could almost see the old man's mind whirring away, trying to find an advantage.

'How about we settle this before the Aurors come to help us? We go to our training room and you duel us, together or singular is up to you.' Harry suggested, getting a wide-eyed stare from Fleur and the twinkling eyes of the Headmaster.

Dumbledore smiled before flicking off a messenger Patronus before gesturing for Harry to lead the way.

'After you.' Dumbledore said as Harry grinned at Fleur and led the two toward the Room of Requirement.

* * *

Once standing in their usual arena training room layout, Harry stood beside Fleur as they watched Dumbledore gaze around the arena from the first task in wonder.

'What a remarkable room, and you say it can take on any appearance?' the headmaster asked as Harry grinned.

'Well, so far anyway. We haven't tried pushing it to its limits yet though.' Harry explained before Dumbledore nodded and visibly changed his demeanour.

Within moments Harry watched as Dumbledore changed from the affable and somewhat odd Headmaster of Hogwarts to the man who defeated Grindelwald and fought Voldemort toe to toe multiple times in the last war.

Before him and Fleur stood a warrior with more experience than them and likely just as much power.

'Standard duelling rules for this exhibition I feel is enough. There is no need to exhaust ourselves if we may be battling Salazar soon.' The Headmaster offered and Harry gave a nod before Dumbledore drew his wand, Harry felt he recognised the wand from somewhere. But figured if he had noticed it before he would have remembered the knobbly elder-wood wand.

Harry drew his wands and held them at the ready while Fleur drew her own wand. All three watched each other for any weakness before, without warning, Dumbledore fired a spell Harry didn't recognise.

The spell sped across the gap between them faster than he thought possible, but still he darted in front of Fleur and conjured a flock of crows to take the spell. The lead crow took the spell and it was sent rocketing into a boulder behind Harry where it exploded into feathers and a bloodstain.

Harry narrowed his eyes and fired a stream of stunners, incarcerous and body binds at the headmaster as Fleur transformed into her Alpha Veela form.

Harry's spells were deflected with ease as Dumbledore waved his wand creating a dozen little soldiers of rock that charged at Harry.

In return, Harry used one wand to continue firing nuisance spells at the Headmaster while his other wand conjured two Matagot's, directing them to destroy the rock soldiers before flanking the Headmaster.

Harry knew he couldn't match Dumbledore in a battle of transfiguration, so he fired precision reducto's at the rock soldiers before layering down more suppression fire on the Headmaster. He included some piercing spells aimed at his limbs, he had no interest in killing the Headmaster or doing any lasting harm.

Harry overpowered his spells, leaving his wands both smoking at the amount of magic being poured into them.

Behind him, Harry felt Fleur finish her transformation and she wasted no time in layering instant wards down with any other wards she could erect with speed.

Harry's training was screaming at him to switch to Battle Magic. However, almost all those spells were lethal and were not to be used in a situation like this mock duel.

Harry knew he had the advantage of his two wands and ample amounts of magic but was hampered by not being able to use the wide array of lethal spells his spirits had taught him, including the Battle Magic. But balancing his advantages was Dumbledore's wide knowledge of magic.

The rules of the duel hampered Harry far more than he liked, as once he couldn't use his lethal spells. His repertoire was little more than Ron's spell knowledge, which sent a shiver down his spine.

Harry saw Dumbledore resist the allure, likely using his occlumency, but it was still distracting him. The headmaster was using every spare moment to batter away at and untangle Fleur's wards and shields. But she held strong, building their defences while Harry fired overpowered hexes at the headmaster.

Harry blinked in suspicion, Dumbledore was renowned for his transfiguration, so why wasn't he using it? He narrowed his eyes as he realised the headmaster was lulling them into a trap, though he couldn't tell what it was.

Giving a mental shrug, Harry used one wand to fire a stream of water around the headmaster, creating a pool surrounding him. Then his other wand froze the water, before his other wand caused the ice to explode, sending shards toward the headmaster. All in a couple of seconds.

Harry grinned as he saw the Battle Magic shield erupt in front of the headmaster. The shield was nigh unbreakable, but it took a massive amount of magic to sustain it.

Harry transfigured the ice shards into dozens of snakes and sent them to remove Dumbledore's wand. Fleur cast a handful of instant wards on the snakes to protect them against some of Dumbledore's spells, but the snakes were defeated moments later. But in that instant, Harry hit the headmaster with a jelly legs jinx.

Dumbledore dropped to the ground as his legs gave out and Harry disarmed the Headmaster, catching the elder-wood wand as it sailed through the air toward him.

Harry grinned as he caught the wand before moving toward Dumbledore who waved a hand over his legs before he stood. Wearing a wide grin, Harry handed the wand back to Dumbledore who was looking over Harry's shoulder.

Confused, Harry turned to find Fleur restrained by vines with one covering her mouth to stop her from calling for him, a dozen other razor-sharp vines poised to stab her from multiple directions.

Harry turned to glare at the Headmaster who cocked his head in an expression that told Harry of his disappointment.

'You shouldn't get overconfident if you think you are winning. The vines were behind Miss Delacour from the start, it was one of the first things I did.' Dumbledore chided and Harry spun and ran toward Fleur, the vines released her, and Harry caught her in his arms.

'Are you okay?' he asked as her wings retracted into her back, he squeezed her tight against him before she nodded, and they turned to face the Headmaster.

'Congratulations to the both of you in your victory, but I urge you both to pay more attention to your surroundings and protect each other. Victory over your enemies is no victory at all if one of you falls to achieve it.' Dumbledore nodded at them before walking toward the door. He paused on the threshold before turning back to Harry.

'Be ready in two hours.' Dumbledore finished, leaving the arena.

Harry ignored the retreating Headmaster in favour of making sure Fleur was okay. He examined her face and arms before wrapping her in an embrace.

'I'm so sorry that I didn't notice those vines, I swear I'll pay more attention to our surroundings next time.'

'It's okay 'Arry, defence was my area in this duel, and I failed to create a strong enough defence. It won't happen again 'Arry.' She held him for a few moments before pulling back, a small grin on her face.

'It is 'arder than I expected, trying to defeat a foe without going all out.' Harry nodded to her and kissed her.

His lips left hers and he lay his forehead against hers.

'I can't lose you. The thought of not having you with me, makes me feel cold, it would be worse than dying myself.' Her finger pressed on his lips, quieting him before she lay a soft kiss on his lips and held each side of his head with a hand and letting out a calming breath.

'We'll both get through this.' She said with a blush colouring her cheeks.

Harry noticed the blush and frowned.

'What's wrong?' she smiled at him before shaking her head.

'Non, it's silly.' she murmured; Harry continued to watch her for a few moments before she sighed.

'It's just that, after this, I want to open a shop. I want to enchant items for people.' She admitted, her blush growing stronger.

Harry grinned.

'But that's a great idea. Why would that be silly? I have no idea what I want to do after everything is sorted out.' He admitted and she beamed at him.

'Well, after everything that 'as 'appened, we'll 'ave to go on a long 'oliday, the shop can wait.' She declared and he gave a faint smile.

'As a child, all I wanted was a family.' He froze as soon as the words left his lips, fear in his eyes.

Fleur beamed at him.

'Then a family we shall 'ave.' she kissed him with a fierceness he hadn't felt from her before and by the time she released him he felt like he had been the one hit with the Jelly Legs jinx.


	34. Chapter 34 - The Black Citadel

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 34: The Black Citadel.**

Two hours later, Harry and Fleur stood in the entrance hall along with Dumbledore. Both Harry and Fleur wore the same, though their vest pockets now contained many potions vials ranging from blood replenishing potions to Skelegrow for first aid.

Harry glanced away from Fleur who was checking her pockets toward Dumbledore standing with Mad Eye Moody, a large sleeping rooster held in a cage beside him. Behind Moody stood two dozen red clad Aurors, most of them wearing grim expressions.

The entrance doors opened to admit Charlie Weasley and a dozen wizards and witches dressed like him in dragonhide jackets, Harry assumed they were Dragon Tamers like Charlie.

Charlie sent a grin at Harry who responded with a small smile and a nod.

Dumbledore's gaze went to every witch and wizard in the room, settling on Harry and Fleur before nodding and addressing the group.

'We all know what we are about to do. Are we ready?' the aged Headmaster asked, it occurred to Harry that Dumbledore had probably taught every witch and wizard in the room, except for Fleur and perhaps some Dragon Tamers.

At the nods from across the room, Dumbledore gave his own nod before leading the group outside to stand beside a row of floating broomsticks.

'We must fly into the Forbidden Forest, this is your last chance to leave. No-one will think less of you if you do.' Dumbledore offered, nobody left.

Harry considered what they were about to do as he mounted the broom, giving a strange look to the rooster before he let out a brief chuckle.

Fleur glanced at him with concern.

''Arry? Are you okay?'

Harry smiled.

'Yeah, sorry, I just realised what the normal way to kill a Basilisk is.' He explained while giving a significant glance at the rooster in the cage that floated beside Dumbledore.

A small smile crossed her face.

'I 'ope that will be enough. I don't want to experience your preferred method up close.' She joked and Harry grinned before taking a deep breath and kicking off the ground, keeping up with the group as they flew low over the forest. The first light of dawn was creeping over the horizon, giving the sky a blood red appearance.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Harry doubted whether Dumbledore's Order member knew what they were doing when a shiver passed through his body, the way it did when crossing wards. He had gotten familiar with the sensation since training with Godric and the others and also thanks to Fleur teaching him about wards in their off time.

Before his eyes he the forest changed, like he had seen a mirage.

A massive spike of rock stuck out of the forest a few hundred metres tall with a Citadel built around and into the mountain. The Citadel was constructed of a black stone that Harry figured was obsidian.

All over the Citadel a dozen Hebridean Black Dragons roosted, from their current distance he knew they were huge, even if they looked rather like the statues given to Fleur and him for the first task.

Harry's blood ran cold, a dozen of those dragons and all they had was a dozen dragon tamers? He doubted Charlie could take on a dragon one on one. But then, he considered he had outflown the Horntail on a broom, maybe Charlie and the others could do the same?

Dumbledore settled in the air beside Harry and Fleur and directed them to land in a clearing below. With a last glance at the dragons, Harry followed their gazes.

The Dragons all stared at the Dragon Tamers, even from their distance he could feel their tension.

Once on the ground, dismounting his broom Harry looked up at the imposing Citadel as it loomed over them and felt they were over their heads.

This building looked bigger than Hogwarts.

The ground shook beneath his feet.

Harry's hand shot out to hold Fleur's as they fought to stand and Harry had a sinking feeling as the trees surrounding them shook, ancient trees snapped and tore as something massive wound its way through them.

Beside him, Dumbledore woke the rooster by tapping it with his wand. The resulting crowing chilled the blood in his veins as the forest around them exploded into screams.

Harry's eyes widened as dread flooded his mind, Basilisks surrounded them.

The crowing stopped with a strangled warble and a shout of surprise from the Headmaster as Harry spun to see the rooster in the cage crushed against the cage, feathers exploding out of the cage.

Harry's gaze found a dozen Death Eaters, without their masks standing at the edge of the clearing, between the Citadel and Dumbledore. But the Death Eaters weren't alone, beside them were six Aurors in their red robes and three people in normal everyday robes, two witches and a wizard.

Harry blinked in surprise as the group of Death Eaters and Aurors unleashed a wave of spell fire at their group.

Shields appeared to block the brunt of the spell fire and the two groups traded lethal spells, Dumbledore being a storm in himself.

Fleur grasped his arm, Harry turned to her and saw the fear in her eyes.

'Are the Basilisks dead?' she asked, and Harry's blood run cold again. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about the Basilisks.

He closed his eyes, turning on his magic sight, being as far away from the castle as they were, he figured it should work without issue.

'_Conjured roosters won't work young one. I've seen many try it, they didn't survive.'_ Godric cancelled one of his plans before it started.

Sighing, Harry reached out a hand and called for Godric's sword. It appeared, as if made of sand and to Harry's enhanced sight, the thing shone with a painful intensity.

He felt Fleur beside him placing wards and defences like she often did in their duels and he felt a sense of relief that she was so level-headed.

Imagining a snake in front of him, Harry wandlessly projected his voice into the forest and hissed.

'_King of Serpents, leave us be. We have no quarrel with you.'_

A sinister voice came from in front of him, Harry felt the magical energy of the Basilisk in front of him and the creature hummed with it. The creature was a vibrant emerald green on a sea of dark green coming from the forest.

'_Our creator said to ignore any other speaker but him. He commands us to kill any intruders, to rip, tear and kill any who come.'_

Harry groaned.

'_If you attack, I will kill you. Please leave the area, I have no desire to kill such majestic creatures.'_

The forest rustled and Harry wasn't sure what was going on. He frowned, keeping his eyes closed and he followed the signatures of the mass of magical energy in the forest coalesce.

'_We will kill._'

Harry sighed, then steeled himself for what was about to happen.

'Keep your eyes closed, they're coming. They wouldn't listen to me.'

He didn't have the chance to hear her reply, but he felt her building their protections and felt a random spell bounce off one of her wards from behind them with a crack.

Harry watched with closed eyes as a Basilisk rushed out from the forest, the first to recover from the rooster's crow. The creature was a little smaller than the one he had killed in the Chamber years before, though that one had disappeared when Salazar had briefly taken over control of the Chamber for his rebirth.

'_Remember how we practised this?'_ Godric asked and Harry nodded, tossing his sword toward the Basilisk.

His wand shot into his hand and he caught the sword in its power and directed the sword up above the Basilisk, outside its sight before whipping it back down.

Moments later the sword plunged down from the sky, crashing through the giant creature's skull, imbedding in its skull, driving the creature to the ground with the force of a meteor.

The earth shook as the beast collapsed, but a moment later another Basilisk rushed out of the forest toward Harry.

He felt Fleur finish her wards and leap back onto her broom. She sped into the air, out of the reach of the Basilisks and fired torrents of flame into the surrounding forest. Harry was momentarily distracted by the brilliance of her magical signature, shining like a miniature sun as she poured her magic into the searing fire.

He remembered the onrushing Basilisk, smaller again than the previous one and directed his sword into the air before sending it crashing through the skull of the ancient creature.

Thanks to his sight he saw a third Basilisk ignoring him and coiling, beneath Fleur who had sunk in the air above it. She was too far away to warn so with a hurried gesture of his wand the sword tore itself free of the second Basilisk to fly toward the third.

The third Basilisk leapt out of the forest; its jaws wide. Fleur heard the crashing of the forest beneath her and looked down to see the open jaws about to swallow her.

Harry could only imagine the look on her face thanks to his enhanced sight, but a moment before the giant snake swallowed Fleur. Godric's sword crashed into the beast's eye, straight into its brain, killing it instantly.

Bereft of life and a working brain, the now lifeless body sunk back into the forest. Hidden from the world like a sea monster falling back into the waves.

Harry hissed into the forest, projecting his voice with magic once more.

'_Leave now, I will not warn you again.'_

Then a signature he recognised appeared. He hadn't known the creature's signature when he had killed it, but he recognised it as it pulled itself out of the burning forest. The Basilisk he had killed in the Chamber, the thing was truly massive as it moved with a slow slither until it loomed down over him. The creature was blind, and the burning forest would have been playing havoc with its other senses, but still it found Harry.

Harry called his sword back into his hand.

'_How do you live?' _Harry asked the massive creature.

The ancient Basilisk jerked its head toward Harry, and he readied the Sword in case it attacked. He was vaguely aware of Fleur flying high over the forest setting it alight while another couple of stray spells ricocheted off the wards she'd made around him.

'_The creator revived me, using old rituals. The usurper Riddle will die for what he made me do. My purpose was to protect the school. So now, in order to protect the school, you must die. The creator has returned to bring the school back to the way it should be.'_

Harry blinked; this Basilisk wasn't so chatty the last time it was in front of him. Perhaps death had cured its madness from being alone for a thousand years. He shook his head, then realised the snake was blind and couldn't see him, hissed.

'_Great one, your creator is just as bad as Riddle. I am a student. They both want to hurt the students. I only want you and the others to go into the forest, to stay away from people. The forest is yours.' _

The basilisk cocked its head in a way eerily reminiscent of a dog.

'_Apologies speaker, I cannot disobey the creator. Even though I would like to, I have no wish to harm the students.'_

Harry clenched his jaw.

'_I am sorry great one, I wish to leave the King of Serpents in peace, but I must defeat Salazar to save innocent people.'_

The basilisk gave what could only be deemed a sigh before rearing back, high in the air. Fleur had to dart away from it to avoid its great bulk.

'_I am sorry speaker.'_

A tear slid down his cheek. He didn't want to kill anymore, squaring his shoulders he let out a heavy breath he tossed the Sword of Gryffindor at the same moment the massive basilisk struck, its massive bulk moving lightning fast.

But as fast as the Basilisk was crashing toward him, the Sword of Gryffindor shot toward the Basilisk, propelled by Harry's magic and flashed through the air like a thunderbolt. The sword tore through the giant snake's skull and out the other side leaving a trail of sparks behind it before hovering above the now collapsing Basilisk's head as it fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Harry wiped a hand across the tears on his face, felt the heat of his heartbeat and his eyes itched. He had just killed four Basilisks, one of them for the second time. The creatures hadn't been evil, simply following the orders of their master. They were possibly the last of their kind and he had slaughtered them, all because Salazar controlled their fate.

Harry steeled himself before hissing into the forest, his voice amplified.

'_I demand your allegiance. I will kill Salazar and I have no urge to kill you too. It is my wish for the Basilisks to live. I command you to stay in the forest and protect it and the students of the school from evil. I will not hunt you down, you will be free.'_

He felt Fleur beside him, creating more wards and he wondered when she had landed. Dumbledore had been right earlier, he needed to keep a closer eye on what she was doing so they could protect each other.

The forest rustled as the fires subsided, Harry was sure he counted the signatures of half a dozen more Basilisks staring at him. He heard at least six distinct voices from the forest echo the same words.

'_We will obey, great speaker.'_

Harry watched with his sight as the six smallest Basilisks turned from him and faded from his sight. Moving away into the forest, away from the carcases of the four largest Basilisks Harry had heard of. Idly he wondered where Salazar had kept nine more than the one he'd been rumoured to have.

Harry stopped his magic sight and opened his eyes, falling to his knees at the sight of the four dead Basilisk's in front of him, one of them only ten metres away. He felt Fleur kneel beside him and wrap her arms around him.

'I am sorry my 'Arry. I am sorry I couldn't 'elp more.' She murmured and he tried to blink away the tears as he turned his gaze to meet hers.

'No, you helped as much as you could. I just wish I didn't have to kill them. They weren't evil Fleur; they were under a madman's control.' He choked and Fleur's embrace tightened around him.

'Oh, 'Arry. I think I saw some left in the forest, what will we do about them?' she asked, he could tell she was confused about the whole situation.

He smiled at her.

'Don't worry about them, they are Hogwarts newest protections. They will defend the school and forest from evil, I have a feeling the Acromantula's won't be having a good time in the near future.' He mused and she stared at him.

'You took control of them away from Salazar?' she blinked; eyes wide.

Harry blinked, then realised that's exactly what he'd done.

'Yeah, I suppose I did. But maybe it was because I'd just killed the four biggest ones of the group, they figured I was the alpha or something.' He mused and noticed her eyes dancing with mischief at his words, he cocked his head in confusion.

'So that means we are both _alpha's_?' she cooed, and he felt a shiver run down his spine before a grin found its way on his face.

'Oh, Merlin's saggy balls.' Came a voice from behind them and Harry turned to see an Auror with bright pink hair standing beside Dumbledore. The Auror's hair changed colour half a dozen times before settling back on pink as she stared at the four dead Basilisk's before moving to stare at Harry.

Harry realised from where the Auror stood, he must have looked somewhat imposing. A stunning Veela on his arm, four of the largest Basilisks ever recorded laying behind him. It would be one hell of a postcard.

Now that Harry was facing away from the Basilisks, he noticed the wizards that had attacked them had been put down.

Some were bound, while it was clear the others were dead.

He noticed two red clad Aurors laying unmoving without a mark on them, he assumed the Killing Curse. Then it occurred to him he had completely forgotten about the wizards trying to kill them, it would have been too easy for one of the rebel Death Eaters to toss a killing curse at him while he'd been distracted.

He clenched his jaw and vowed to do better.

Harry sighed, letting his body relax and releasing his sword which drifted away in the wind as dust. Dumbledore strode forward, his eyes flicking to the dead Basilisks for a moment before returning to Harry's eyes.

'Are you okay, Harry?'

Harry gave a sad smile.

'Too many lives have been lost today Headmaster.'

'_Look right, shield!'_ Arthur screamed in his mind and Harry spun right and his eyes widened as a massive Hebridean Black Dragon fell from the sky.

He heard Fleur scream, throwing up her strongest instant ward against physical attacks and in a distant part of his mind he couldn't help the flare of attraction her reaction caused in him.

Clearing his thoughts Harry snapped both wands into his hands and cast the strongest and largest Battle Magic shield he could from each. The shields were the metallic crimson shields and a moment later, the Dragon crashed into the shields with such force that Harry was forced to one kneel from the impact.

The sound of bones shattering filled the clearing as the dragon crashed into the crimson shields.

He was sure if the creature wasn't dead before, it would be now. The thing was as large as a house and Harry was aware in a distant part of his mind that Fleur was staring at him in shock, while all the Aurors did the same. It then occurred to him that if he hadn't stopped the falling dragon, it would have crushed their entire group beneath its bulk.

The dragon rolled off the shield and lay on the ground beside the Basilisk from the Chamber.

Harry looked up to the sky and saw eight Dragons shooting great gouts of flame at no more than half a dozen tiny specks, the broom riding Dragon Tamers.

'Headmaster, we need to finish this soon. Charlie and the others can't take much more of this.'

Dumbledore nodded to the Aurors who turned and moved toward the Citadel, leaving the bodies of the giant creatures where they lay. The captured wizards were floated in front of the group as they drew closer to the imposing Citadel.

Harry and Fleur trailed behind the group, holding hands and caught up in their own thoughts.

''Arry.' Fleur's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts as he followed where she was pointing.

There were three graves beside the entrance doors to the Citadel, Harry ignored the Aurors and Dumbledore to stand in front of the graves.

He kneeled and saw the grime of a thousand years had already been scraped away by another's hand.

Each grave had only the name of the one buried, no messages or other writing.

_Alicia Slytherin._

_Merope Slytherin._

_Marvolo Slytherin._


	35. Chapter 35 - Slytherin

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 35: Slytherin.**

Harry stood before the entrance to the Black Citadel. The great entry doors were made of iron and were decorated with a scene that set his teeth on edge, that was even before he felt Godric's anger at the sight of the doors.

The scene depicted on the door was of twelve long-bearded wizards, each bearing a wand standing about a kneeling populace wearing naught but rags with their heads bowed. A short-bearded wizard stood beside each long-bearded wizard. The wizards instead of wearing robes, wore armour and a cape, held together at the front with a brooch.

Each wizard bore an animal on their brooch and each short-bearded wizard's brooch bore the same animal as one of the long-bearded wizards.

'_The Cabal. Ruling over the masses with blood and death. Each apprentice took on the animal sigil of their master and would carry that sigil as their own until they finished their training.'_ Godric explained, Harry could feel the anger these people still caused the founder.

'_What happened when they finished their training?'_ Harry asked, almost afraid of the answer.

'_Well, they left to find their own apprentice, taking another animal as their sigil in the process. But often they killed their master, taking their sigil as their own, as well as their throne.'_ Godric's rage was simmering and Harry figured it was best to let the subject drop.

''Arry? Do you know the significance of this scene?' Fleur asked, a hand on his shoulder.

Harry closed his eyes and settled his nerves. He needed to be calm for what was coming. As he opened his eyes, he noticed the pink haired Auror looking at him in confusion while Dumbledore gave him a raised eyebrow.

'Yeah, this is the seat of the Cabal's power. The Cabal were a group of twelve wizards who ruled this area before Hogwarts was created by the founders. Each member of the Cabal was a master wizard, the most powerful wizards in the area and each of them had a single apprentice.' Harry gestured at the door, showing the masters and the apprentices.

'The founders defeated the Cabal in a battle at the gates of Hogwarts, but only a single founder knew of the location of this place. Salazar hunted the Cabal and killed them all, for the safety of Hogwarts. He wasn't a monster at this time, he was the greatest of heroes, brother in all but blood to Godric.' Harry trailed off, taking a breath and Fleur took hold of his hand.

'We should go in. Professor, are we ready?' Harry asked and Dumbledore gave a slight nod before turning to Mad-Eye Moody who Harry had forgotten was there.

Moody turned and barked something to two Aurors who nodded and moved to stand beside the wizards and witches they had taken prisoner.

Moments later Dumbledore turned to Harry and Fleur.

'May I ask that the two of you cover the rear of our party? Alastor and I will take the front.' Harry nodded, knowing that if Salazar was around only the three of them stood a chance, no need to have them all at the front of the group.

Harry watched Dumbledore and Moody wave their wands at the door, a flash of blue light signalled the great iron doors opening. He held his breath, releasing Fleur's hand and drawing his second wand. Harry shared a glance with Fleur who nodded.

'We will win this 'Arry.' She promised and Harry couldn't help the smile that grew on his face.

A moment later the two turned to the group of twenty Aurors walking through the open iron doors of the Citadel, each holding their wands in a ready stance.

Harry and Fleur followed the Aurors into the entrance hall to find it fit the aesthetic of the outside. Every surface, from the walls to the floor to the pillars that lined the walls was made of the same shiny black material as the outside, obsidian.

Harry wasn't surprised at the dark, foreboding atmosphere of the entrance hall. But he smirked at one of the Aurors in front of him who was.

'Horace, why is this place so creepy?'

Harry leaned closer and whispered into the group of Aurors.

'So, they could terrify the peasants who came to ask things of them. The Cabal ruled this area by fear, this whole place would be a nightmare if you didn't have magic. Imagine getting through the forbidden forest without magic, only to find this place at the end of your journey.'

He fell back in beside Fleur who shook her head at him.

'Show off.' She whispered and he grinned before it faded as quick as it had come.

He stood in the centre of the entrance hall. Everything was obsidian with only dim lighting, giving everything an uncomfortable appearance. It was as if the stone absorbed the light and whatever spell was keeping the room lit struggled with the stone, the result was the light flickering like firelight. Though rather than the orange of firelight, it was more of a greenish tinge to everything.

'Creepy.' Fleur shivered, though her body was tense and ready for anything.

On either side of the entrance hall stood great pillars, each at least a metre wide with about two metres between each pillar. The hall was around fifty metres long and half that wide. Harry noticed a single door on either side of the entrance hall, about halfway along the wall. His gaze slipped past them; they were unimportant for the time being.

However, he noticed Mad-Eye make silent gestures to the Aurors that Harry didn't understand. But then ten Aurors peeled off from the group, five going to each of the doors. Leaving ten Aurors standing between Harry and Dumbledore.

In front of them was a staircase leading up to another large iron door. The group moved up the stairs and Harry made out what they depicted.

On the great doors, a scene showing the twelve members of the Cabal standing in a circle, each with their apprentice beside them.

'I guess witches weren't allowed in the Cabal.' Harry whispered to Fleur who snorted, though was careful to muffle the sound.

'We know why it died out then.' She sneered and Harry smirked.

Still at the back of the group, Harry and Fleur watched as Dumbledore used his wand to open the heavy doors to reveal a massive room the size of the great hall. The room was bare except for twelve large thrones in a circle, each taller than Dumbledore made from bleached white skulls, rather than obsidian like everything else in the Citadel.

Beside each of the thrones sat a luxurious looking chair, made of marble but with skulls carved across their surface.

All these thrones sat empty and had for over a thousand years. But in the centre of the room, where each of the thrones eyelines met stood an even larger throne, that would make Hagrid look small.

This great throne was made of the same grey stone that Hogwarts was made of.

Carved on every surface of the great throne were serpents of every type with a stone Basilisk wrapped around the base of the throne, it's body making its way up the throne to eventually rear up above the throne, glowering down at any supplicant in front of the throne.

The throne itself sent a shiver down Harry's spine.

He noticed twelve skulls, arranged in a circle in the chair back, similar to the arrangement of the Cabal on the door.

Underneath the twelve skulls sat an amused looking Salazar Slytherin, head resting on a fist as he watched the group gawk at his throne room. Salazar's short goatee framed his youthful face, if Harry didn't know better, Salazar looked to be in his thirties. He wore rich, dark green robes, so dark as to almost be black. The robes were embroidered with serpents, creating a subtle collage effect as the serpents wound together, appearing to make the robes themselves.

'_Of course, Salazar would make his new body youthful.'_ Godric grumbled in Harry's mind and Harry hid a smirk.

'How may I ask did you find my Citadel? It should have been impossible to find.' Salazar lounged in his massive throne, looking as though he was asking about the weather. Though Harry could see the rage in his eyes, rage the reborn man held contained behind impressive mental shields.

He couldn't tell whether that rage was due to their intrusion to his domain or because he had been tortured in Tartarus for a thousand years, probably both.

Seeing that no one else seemed to want to answer, Harry planted a smile on his face, the same smile he knew Fleur hated because she knew it was fake. He moved around the Aurors and walked alone, towards one of the outer thrones.

'We simply looked around, there were a few clues outside the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.' Harry gestured with one hand vaguely around them while his other hand trailed along the marble of an apprentice throne.

Salazar's face twisted into a snarl of rage. This time, Harry knew it was because of him mentioning the Chamber, which had been Salazar's secret domain, but now it was Harry's.

Salazar schooled his features into a mask of curiosity but straightened up in his throne with his eyes flashing, the only outward sign of his anger.

'The Black Citadel has been an acceptable place to gather my forces. But Hogwarts is mine by right, if you wish to live beyond this day you will leave the school I built.' The goateed man said, and Harry had to steel himself. If he hadn't known better, forewarned by Godric, he would almost be drawn into the man's charismatic charade.

But forewarned, Harry saw through it and noticed the tells of a man barely restraining his rage and whose arrogance would accept nothing less than what he had requested.

'But sir, I am a student of that school. You attacked me. The school is perfectly fine without your assistance. You are neither wanted nor needed. The Basilisks have a new master and the dragons are dealt with. Your servants are no longer in the picture as well.' Harry grinned, trailing his fingers across the marble of the throne he stood beside.

'It is just you against all of us, you cannot win.' He finished, keeping a close eye on Salazar.

Salazar sneered, his gaze moving across the intruders into his domain and a smirk crossed his face as footsteps echoed up from the entrance hall.

'The Basilisks will return once you are dead, young upstart.' Salazar begun before pausing as his eyes moved upward, as though looking to the sky and his lip curled. His gaze moved back to Harry, ignoring the others in the room.

'Have you discovered the true power of Parseltongue, upstart?' he asked and laughed at Harry as he cocked his head in response.

'Obviously not. Well then, I shall not enlighten you.' Salazar smirked before a wand fell from his rich robes into each of his hands.

Harry saw Dumbledore draw his elder-wood wand, before freezing. The headmaster turned around as the echoed footsteps stopped revealing not reinforcements like they had assumed, but twelve walking corpses, each with a light beard visible on their decayed faces.

They were remarkably preserved considering they were a thousand years old.

The Cabal apprentices.

Each of the undead apprentices bore a wand and their tattered robes were once grand, judging by the gold trim and detailed work put into the robes.

Harry heard Moody bark at the Aurors, and the red robed men and women turned from Salazar and faced the undead apprentices. Dumbledore met gazes with Harry and nodded, leaving Moody to lead the Aurors while the headmaster aided Harry in his coming fight with Salazar.

Harry met Fleur's gaze and she nodded, a look of determination crossing her face as she made her way to his side.

'Transform behind the throne, I'll buy you time.' Harry whispered as Fleur stopped beside him, out of the corner of his eye her saw her nod.

Without further delay, Harry shut out the other conflict in the room, ignoring the Aurors and the undead apprentices. His only focus on Salazar, who stood from his throne with his amused smirk hiding the rage in his eyes.

Harry slashed both his wands at Salazar, using Battle Magic at the start. His wands both unleashed brilliant bursts of vibrant red light that Salazar countered with ease, though his enraged eyes widened.

Harry's wands flashed with power as he threw everything he could at the reborn man, while Harry noticed Dumbledore flicking his wand sending his own brilliant bursts of light at Salazar. Dumbledore's spells were unknown to Harry, but he could feel their power, even from the distance he was from them. Dumbledore's spell fire was not limited to the basic Battle Magic blasts that Harry knew, and it showed as Salazar was forced back.

Salazar snarled as he retreated, away from his throne as Dumbledore's attacks overwhelmed him. Harry's own high-powered Battle Magic forced the reborn man to split his focus. Unlike the last time they fought in the Chamber when Harry had been of little help, this time he could apply pressure to the founder.

A flash of white light erupted from behind him and he knew Fleur was finished her transformation. Moments later he could feel her placing instant wards around him while feverishly working to provide a perfect defence, enabling him to unleash all his offensive power.

Salazar was forced back further, his face showing his rage at his situation. Harry couldn't help the smirk as he saw the man's rage of being overwhelmed by the two of them.

With a slight widening of his eyes, Harry noticed the floor around Salazar become soaked in water, before electricity arced through it. This forced Salazar to leap away from the water, putting up the now familiar crimson Battle Magic shield until he landed away from the electrified water.

With a wave of Dumbledore's wand, one of the marble thrones behind Salazar tore free from its place and flew at Salazar, the man spun and with a single wave of his wand the throne turned to dust and the man transfigured the dust into snakes.

'_Kill the girl and the old man.'_ Salazar hissed to the snakes.

'_You will not, you will bite your creator.'_ Harry countered and the snakes stared between the two speakers.

With an enraged snarl, Salazar dismissed the snakes who returned to dust once more and used both wands to create a massive Fiendfyre Basilisk which tore across the room toward Harry.

The obsidian floor melted and cracked beneath the Fiendfyre and Harry took a step back, away from the intense heat of the Basilisk bearing down on him.

An obsidian throne careened across the room in the path of the Fiendfyre, not even slowing it down as it rushed at Harry.

Harry retreated in front of Fleur, so she was right behind him and as she rushed to erect what protections she could, Harry focussed his magic into the single piece of Grand Sorcery that Merlin had been able to teach him so far.

A blue spherical shield grew around the two of them and Harry felt the extreme drain on his magic. A moment after the shield sprung to life, it was enveloped by the Fiendfyre.

It was like a pack of rabid wolves all jumping over each other to get at him. He saw fangs of fire all over the shield as it flared, the heat of the Fiendfyre seeped in through the shield and it was unbearable.

Inside the shield Harry felt he would catch alight in moments and out of the corner of his eye he saw Fleur's brilliant wings drooping. Her wards flared to life, working to protect them, but almost nothing worked against Fiendfyre.

Harry felt his power waning, the Grand Shield drained far more of his power than he thought it would and he wasn't sure how much more he would be able to hold it, the Fiendfyre's gnashing teeth and claws unrelenting as it tried to devour him and Fleur.

The pressure of the Fiendfyre lessened and Harry figured Salazar was using only a single wand to cast the spell. With a sinking feeling, Harry wrapped an arm around Fleur's waist who gave him a startled expression before he dragged her to the ground.

An instant after they fell, a vivid green light flew over their head, carving through the Fiendfyre. The sound of onrushing death drowned out the snarling of the Fiendfyre as it tore through Harry's Grand Shield.

Harry's mind considered that, the Killing Curse would cut through any magic shield, even the Grand Shield that Merlin had taught him. It was clear now to Harry that the Killing Curse was something special, not in the same league as any other spells.

Harry shared a quick nod with Fleur who spread her brilliant white wings and leapt into the air. The Fiendfyre having been dissipated by the Killing Curse left Harry to stand and face Salazar who stood with his head cocked. His eyes calculating as the man batted away a spell from a singed and injured Dumbledore.

Harry returned his holly wand and called Godric's Sword, the ancient blade forming in his right hand.

Salazar's eyes widened as he saw the sword in Harry's hand. A snarl appearing on his lips a moment later.

'Godric.' He breathed before slashing both wands at Harry, sending out two Killing Curses.

The vibrant green passed Harry by as he ducked one and leant aside away from the other, the sound of onrushing death catching in Harry's mind.

A sound he had heard only twice before.

Harry returned his second wand, holding Godric's sword with both hands as he came closer to Salazar, his legs pumping as he neared the reborn founder.

Two metres away from Salazar, the man deflected a vibrant purple curse fired from Dumbledore as Harry noticed he was fighting off two undead apprentices. Clearing his mind of any other distractions Harry continued.

One metre away from Salazar, Harry saw Fleur unleash a blasting hex with as much power as she had remaining, while also throwing the full force of her alpha allure at the man. He shielded the blasting hex without even turning away from Harry, while his rage burned through the allure.

But Harry was now too close.

He thrust Gryffindor's Sword through Salazar's heart, passing through his shield as if it weren't there.

Harry tore the sword out from the founder's heart and after spinning out of the way from another Killing Curse, Harry separated Salazar's head from his body.

Salazar dropped to the ground, and Harry let out a rasping breath.

'_Young one, it's not finished. Use the sword as a conduit, like your wand. Pour your intent into it, turn your entire being toward the purpose of sending him back to the underworld.'_ Godric cried in his mind as a black mist pulled itself free of the decapitated body.

Harry focussed on the sword in his hands. Following Godric's instructions and moments later, the sword glowed white, as did Harry's ritual runes across his body.

Salazar's essence, returned to wraith form, turned from the glowing white Harry and flew away from him.

Harry threw the sword at Salazar's wraith, like he had done with the Basilisk's outside and directed it with his hand, sending the glowing white blade through the wraith of Salazar which with a pain filled scream faded to nothing. The sword plunged deep into the obsidian wall of the room, burying itself to the hilt.

Harry fell to his knees, gasping for breath as his ritual tattoos faded, holding himself up on his hands and knees. Fleur landed beside him, her wings retracting as she reverted to her normal form, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

''Arry, are you okay?' she whispered as he tried to catch his breath.

Harry felt drained, far more than he ever had before. He had fought toe to toe with Salazar and with the help of Fleur and Dumbledore, had won. He raised his head to look at the body of Salazar laying only feet away, missing the head as blood seeped across the obsidian floor.

Harry's stomach tightened and he swallowed down his breakfast as it tried to resurface at the sight of the headless man in front of him.

He had done that, cut off a man's head.

'It's okay my 'Arry. You saved lives today. That man was dead a thousand years ago, 'e 'ad no business being among the living.' Fleur whispered in his ear, her arms growing tighter around him.

'Please 'Arry.' Her breath hitched and Harry turned his gaze from Salazar's body to see the tears flowing down her face.

In an instant he raised himself to his knees and returned her embrace.

'Fleur, I'm so sorry.' He whispered as he held her close to him, revelling in her body against his.

'My 'Arry, we should leave the rest of this to the others. We should return to 'Ogwarts.' She murmured as she pulled back to meet his gaze.

He nodded.

With a smile, Fleur stood, helping Harry to his feet and he turned to look at the rest of the room.

Half of the thrones were reduced to rubble, or in some cases only dust remained of them. A single obsidian throne lay on its side in front of Salazar's central throne where Dumbledore had tossed it in front of the Fiendfyre. The central throne had chips missing from it and scorch marks across it but was otherwise intact. Most of the obsidian walls were chipped with deep gouges carved in them from errant curses.

But what broke Harry's heart were the three standing Aurors. They were moving across the room, levitating their fallen comrades into a line on the floor. Seven Aurors lay on the ground with an array of wounds on them, one of them was missing limbs which the pink haired Auror levitated to place with the fallen Auror.

Harry saw Moody standing over three of the undead apprentices, before leaning down to claim their wands. Each wand was a masterpiece compared to the wands Harry knew came from Ollivander's, who was regarded as the best wand-maker in Britain. Moody looked like he had picked up a few more scars from his fight with the apprentices but otherwise looked like he would be fine.

Nearby, Dumbledore stood over the two undead apprentices that had been attacking him while he had been helping Harry fight Salazar and once again Harry marvelled at the old man's skill. Fighting three opponents at the same time, while one of them was the superior combatant.

Dumbledore's once bright robes were torn and filthy and his usually twinkling eyes were dull and filled with sadness.

Harry and Fleur leaned on each other as they made their way to Dumbledore.

The headmaster turned to look at Moody.

'Alastor, I need to return these two to the school. Shall I return after?'

Moody turned his scarred visage to Dumbledore and gave a heavy sigh.

'Aye Albus and bring some more Aurors if you can. I'm going to need help with all of this.' The scarred man admitted, waving a hand around the battered room.

Moody clomped over to Harry, resting a hand on his shoulder.

'You did good kid. None of us would be alive if you hadn't of done what you did.' He growled before turning back to the seven Aurors laying on the ground. Moody let out a deep sigh as another Auror was lowered beside the seven, the pink haired Auror having returned from the entryway with another Auror Harry remembered going off to investigate the side doors in the entrance hall. The Aurors had been ambushed by the undead apprentices, it looked as thought they'd all died.

Harry and Fleur struggled down the steps into the entrance hall, seeing an Auror levitating another fallen Auror in from one of the side doors and Harry felt his guilt overwhelming his occlumency barriers.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to keep walking. He could feel Fleur putting more of her weight on him for support and remembered how much her transformation took out of her, and not just from her magic, physically growing wings and flying around put immense strain on her body.

They stepped out of the Citadel, Dumbledore only a few steps away from them and Harry saw the pain in the headmaster's eyes. There were half a dozen dragons laying still on the ground, some having fallen atop a Basilisk that Harry had killed earlier. Scattered around the fallen monsters lay dragon handlers.

Of the twelve that came with them, only two remained, Charlie and a woman Harry didn't know.

But while they lived, they were going to be scarred for life. The left side of Charlie's torso was burnt, dragon fire having burnt away the dragonhide jacket he had worn. His chest was red raw and looked like it had melted wax poured over it.

Beside him, the woman Dragon Handler limped, she was using a branch from the nearby forest as a crutch due to her right leg from the knee down being a charred ruin.

The two moved slowly around the battleground, levitating their comrades into a line, much like the Aurors inside the Citadel were doing.

Harry felt the guilt rise inside him like a wave and would have fallen to his knees if Fleur hadn't tightened her grip around his shoulders.

'Harry, Miss Delacour, you should call your brooms and make your way back to Hogwarts. I need to talk to young Mister Weasley over there. I will see you after this is sorted out. Thank you, Harry and Miss Delacour, you've saved many lives this day, and Hogwarts itself.' Dumbledore said before turning and moving toward Charlie.

Harry felt a tear escape down his cheek and reached out a hand, calling his broom. Fleur did the same and they mounted their brooms.

Harry looked down at Dumbledore as they took off and considered what the old man was going through. All the dead Aurors and Dragon Handlers had likely gone through Hogwarts, which meant they all almost certainly were taught by and known by the Headmaster. Harry closed his eyes, trying not to imagine the grief that Dumbledore would feel, seeing those he knew as eleven-year-old children die.

Harry turned away from the carnage below them and flew beside Fleur, both keeping a close eye on the other in case they fell into the Forbidden Forest.


	36. Chapter 36 - Guilt

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 36: Guilt.**

Harry sat on the cold stone floor in the Chamber of Secrets. Almost the exact spot he'd stabbed the Diary to kill the memory of Tom Riddle, but thoughts of that day were not even close to his mind. He sat cross-legged facing that giant frowning face of Salazar Slytherin as it loomed down on him, the face still had its mouth open from when the Basilisk had come at Riddles call.

It had been hours since Fleur and he had returned from the Black Citadel, hours since he'd lain beside her until she fell asleep, which had only taken minutes. Then he'd gotten up and moved to sit there, the cold felt somehow fitting.

He was a murderer.

It occurred to him that he had been a killer since he was eleven when he had burnt Quirrell with his bare hands. The realisation made him feel all the worse for not realising it. How could someone kill another living person, but not realise what that meant? It made him a monster, no different from the Basilisks or Dementor Knights he'd killed. No different to the Death Eaters he was pretty sure he'd killed on the roof of the Hogwarts Express.

However he considered it, he was a murderer.

Harry stared up at the visage of the man he'd killed hours before. The other times he'd killed were different, they were either creatures, possessed, or he didn't actually see them die.

This time, Harry had cut off a man's head. He watched the man's body collapse to the ground, the head roll away. Then he'd destroyed the man's soul with unknown magic.

What he'd done to Salazar was unforgivable. It didn't matter that it was self-defence, that Salazar would have killed everyone there if he hadn't of landed the final blow. It didn't matter that everyone was fighting with no power left, the only one who had power to spare had been Salazar himself.

Salazar was the first person Harry had knowingly killed. He realised for the first time, that before this war ended, he would kill again. There would be no end to the killing until the war was finished, if he was to survive and protect those he loved. As much as he hated any further killing, the idea of losing those he cared about was so painful, so unthinkable that he couldn't even consider the option.

That realisation flooded Harry with guilt, how selfish could someone be to kill as many people as necessary to stop themselves from feeling the pain of loss? Harry stared with tear-filled eyes at Salazar's stone face as the tears fell, staining the stone floor beneath him.

He was a murderer.

How could Fleur ever look at him the same way? How could she turn her perfect gaze to one so unclean as him? He was no better than the monsters they fought against, how could he expect her to stand to be near him, let alone love him.

How could he expect any of his friends to think of him the same way as they did? Knowing that he was a murderer, a monster.

How many more people would he kill before this war was over? Three? Three hundred? What would happen after everything was done, would he keep on killing? Would he leave a trail of death wherever he went?

He couldn't do that to Fleur, she had bound herself to him. He couldn't drag her along with him on his killing spree across the world. Harry figured he would need to find a way to break their bond so she could be happy, happy with someone who wouldn't be a murderer.

People died wherever he went, whether it was him who killed them or someone else didn't matter. Death followed him.

Was it fair to keep Fleur nearby when she might be the next one to die because of him? What would he do if Voldemort or one of their other enemies killed Fleur? The thought made his blood run cold and he narrowed his gaze at Salazar's stone face.

His Parents, Quirrell, Cedric, the Aurors, the Basilisks, the Dragons, the Dragon Tamers, Salazar. How many more would die because of him?

Harry's gaze locked onto the stony eyes of the statue in front of him. The anger from moments before fled, leaving only shame forming like a stone in his gut. Fear seized his mind and guilt tore at his heart, he found it hard to breathe as he stared up at the man he'd killed.

'I'm sorry.'

The words came out so quiet that even he barely heard them as they echoed around the chamber as only a whisper.

Harry knew the story of the errant founder of Hogwarts, he'd lived it through another's eyes. He knew what turned the once good man, hero he was into the man Harry had killed only hours before.

Harry knew how once Salazar had been among the greatest of men.

He knew that if a good man like Salazar, all but a brother to Godric could be broken and turn into a monster, it could happen to him.

It would happen to him.

Harry felt warmth surround him as brilliant white wings closed around him, blocking his view of Salazar's face. He only saw the pure white feathers and felt her warmth surround him, her arms wrapping around his chest. He felt her lips on his neck and her warm breath in his ear.

Guilt and shame spread through him, making his body tense as he closed his eyes. Harry didn't know if he was trying to fight the shame and the guilt or embrace them.

He felt her warm finger on his cheek wiping away forgotten tears.

'It's okay 'Arry. You did the right thing.' Her soft lilting voice whispered in his ear.

The guilt and shame froze in him as a tiny pinprick of light appeared in his mind.

Hope.

'I love you 'Arry and I will always love you. Whatever we have to do to get through this we will do it together.' Harry felt the pinprick of hope lit his heart, chasing away the guilt and the shame.

He turned to face her, wrapped in the warmth of her wings, the cold of the Chamber chased away like shadows from light. Harry feared what he would see in her eyes, but as he turned, he saw only love and devotion in her eyes.

A promise.

The guilt and the shame that he had so recently been drowning in ebbed away, fading like fog before the sun's warmth.

'Are you sure?' he hated the fear in his words, the weakness. His childhood at the Dursleys had taught him to ruthlessly suppress any weakness.

But still, it came out.

Her smile chased away his fear and her kiss gave him strength.

'Always.' She murmured, her hair waving about like it was in a breeze, her silver eyes holding nothing back from him.

He could do nothing else but throw his arms around the lifeline she gave him. Her own arms holding him close and he felt the depth of her feelings for him as her alpha form projected her love for him to any in range.

'I'm sorry.' He whispered as he pulled away from their embrace.

She cocked her head in question.

'For being weak.' Harry added.

Fleur kissed him before pulling back, a slight frown marring her perfect face.

''Ow are you being weak?'

Harry gave her a melancholy smile.

'I'm supposed to save the world, but here I am crying.'

She kissed him again.

''Ow are you being weak?' she repeated, raising a silver eyebrow.

He gave her an incredulous look. How could she not understand? It was obvious, wasn't it?

She smiled at him, a warm, loving smile.

'Crying is not a weakness 'Arry. I would be worried if you were unaffected by this. You care. That is one of your greatest strengths.'

Harry stared at her, disbelief warring with confusion on his face.

'I fell in love with that man who wants to protect people. The man who will do anything he can to keep people safe. Even if that means he must kill the people who are hurting those he cares about. I will always be beside you, now and forever.' She said, her eyebrows raised, daring him to refute her.

'But, how can you?' he asked, guilt flooding him once more.

'How can you love a murderer? How many people will I leave in my path? Who else will die just by being near me?' he paused, his voice hitching, and he shook his head as Fleur opened her mouth to speak.

'My Parents, Cedric. Who else will die just because they stand beside me? I don't want you to die.' He ended in a whisper, the words only coming out with an effort.

A tear flow down his face as he stared at her hands in his own.

She drew a hand from of his grip and fear filled his mind, only for her hand to hold his chin, raising his gaze to meet hers.

'We will not be separated my 'Arry. That is why we 'ave been training so 'ard, why we 'ave gotten so much stronger. We will not be beaten; we will rise to the challenge of those who would hurt us and those we care about. I will never leave you.' She declared and Harry saw the fire in her eyes and her warmth filled his heart.

A small smile found its way on his face at her words and he felt her warmth settle in his heart. He knew that warmth would never leave him and leant forward to whisper in her ear.

'Veela mate for life, right?'

His eyes widened as her lips crashed into his a moment later, filled with fire and warmth that flowed through him and he revelled in it.


	37. Chapter 37 - Bad News

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 37: Bad News.**

The Chamber of Secrets was silent as Harry and Fleur sat cross-legged in front of each other, their knees and foreheads touching as they basked in the other's company. Their emotions raw and neither wanting to sleep, Harry used the time to allow Fleur to help calm him while working through his emotional state.

A flash of fire on top of the statue of Salazar Slytherin signalled Fawkes' arrival into the chamber.

'Fawkes?' Harry asked with a sigh, groaning as he stood and pulling Fleur to her feet beside him.

'I guess the 'Eadmaster requires our presence, no?' Fleur asked and Harry looked up to see Fawkes looking down at them, with worry in its black eyes.

'Yeah, you're right. Oh well, at least you got some rest.' His grin was tired, and he knew it fell flat, but he wouldn't give her the fake smile she hated. He sighed and looked toward the tent.

Harry held out a hand and his dragonhide utility vest flew out of the tent to his hand before he moved it to his other hand, releasing Fleur's hand. He held out his hand again and Fleur's utility vest flew out where he caught it and handed it to her.

When they had returned to the chamber earlier, they had just dumped their vests on the ground in their effort to fall into bed.

He watched as Fleur put on her utility vest and was surprised to notice that when she came out of the tent earlier to cheer him up, she was dressed for a fight.

A grin covered his face as he realised she was practical, if he had been stubborn with his misery, she probably would have attacked him.

Once they were both ready, Fawkes flew down on Harry's shoulder as he held Fleur to his side. A moment and a flash of flames later saw the two standing in the Headmasters office.

* * *

Harry saw the Headmaster sitting in his throne-like chair, his elbows on the desk and his fingers steepled in front of his face.

'What's wrong sir?' Harry asked and Dumbledore closed his eyes for a few moments before looking at Fleur.

'The French Ministry has fallen.'

Harry felt Fleur's hand clench around his, squeezing him tight.

'Fallen? Why didn't we go help?' Harry asked, then paused for a moment.

'What about Dominique?'

Dumbledore sighed, looking every bit of his age.

'I do not know. The British Ministry just found out. It seems there was no warning, like it happened in mere moments.'

Harry met Fleur's fear filled gaze and squeezed her hand.

'We are going sir. We need to help.' Harry declared, a frown appearing on his face as Dumbledore raised a hand.

'No Harry, we can't. That battle has already been fought.' The headmaster turned to Fleur.

'If your father is alive, he will find his way to us. We cannot expect to defeat a large portion of Magical Europe with just the three of us.'

Harry narrowed his eyes.

'What do you mean?'

Dumbledore sighed again.

'According to reports, the French Ministry has been invaded by the army that took Beauxbatons, which comprised a large proportion of various magical European nations.' Harry's jaw clenched.

'These people have been dominated by Morgana and her Veela. Somehow, she has changed these Veela, so that their allure is more powerful and more able to dominate the minds and hearts of people.'

Fleur's eyes widened.

'They are however in their Avian forms; none seem to possess Fleur's alpha powers. Though it seems Morgana is part way there.' Dumbledore finished and Harry's eyes were still narrowed on the Headmasters blue eyes.

'Why would it be just the three of us?' Harry repeated and the headmaster sighed.

'The British Ministry is unwilling to use its Aurors and hit wizards to fight foreign battles, not with the threats it already faces at home.'

Harry growled deep in his throat and felt Fleur's hand tighten on his and he let out a calming breath.

His eyes noticed a map of Europe on the headmaster's desk and much of it was coloured a deep blue, which he assumed meant regions controlled by Morgana.

He squeezed Fleur's hand and nodded to himself before meeting the headmasters gaze once more.

'We will need to lay a trap at Avalon. We know it is her next target, have the Ministry watch it and prepare for Morgana's arrival. Now that the French Ministry and their Aurors are under her control, she will attack soon.' Harry suggested and Dumbledore nodded, the old mans eyes locked on the map on his desk.

Harry gave a quick grin to Fawkes before looking back at Dumbledore.

'I will sneak into the French Ministry under my cloak and search for Dominique.'

Dumbledore raised his gaze to meet Harry's and the headmaster looked older than even his age suggested.

'I agree Harry, the three of us will leave in the morning.' Dumbledore stood, his gaze moving to meet Fawkes' black eyes who gave a soft trill of support.

'Say seven o'clock?'

Fleur's gaze met Dumbledore's and tears fell down her face.

'Thank you, sir.' She whispered, he nodded at her in his grandfatherly way.

'Now, you two should get some rest. We'll need it for tomorrow.'

With their dismissal Harry nodded and wrapped an arm around Fleur's side as Fawkes landed on his shoulder, before taking them down to the Chamber in a flash of fire.

With his duty complete, Fawkes disappeared in flames once more, leaving Harry and Fleur in front of Salazar's statue once more.

Harry felt his eyes growing heavy and took Fleur's hand.

'Bed?' he asked, receiving only a nod in return.

The two made their way into the tent and up to their room before collapsing on the bed, still fully clothed and were asleep in moments.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes in his mindscape, laying on soft green grass. He was in the open fields again and groaned as he rolled over and pushed himself to his feet. Moments later Fleur was standing beside him and after blinking Godric stood in front of him, with Arthur and Merlin to either side of the large founder.

Harry saw the tears in the large man's eyes and took a step back as Godric wrapped him in a hug.

'Thank you young one, for sending Salazar back to the underworld. I know how difficult it was for you, both during and afterward. But thank you, Salazar and the others had their time in the world of the living, they don't belong here anymore.'

Harry groaned as his ribs felt like they might crack under the strain.

'Godric. Cant. Breathe.' He gasped and the large man released him as if he was burnt.

Then Godric turned to Fleur and wrapped her in a hug as well.

'And you, little Flower. You did wonderfully.' The large man tightened his hug but released her before anything was broken.

'Yes, congratulations Harry and Fleur. You have done exceedingly well in such a short time. However, there is much left to do.' Merlin began, drawing a betrayed look from Godric and an amused smirk from Arthur. Harry figured Arthur had to deal with Merlin's brusque demeanour in life so was used to it.

'I have almost figured out how to deal with the Dementor Knights, but it is not quite ready yet. Arthur and Godric will work with Fleur this evening while Harry, we will look at some more Grand Sorcery.' Merlin ordered, Godric gave a huff and Arthur smirked.

'Okay, we'll go teach the wonderful flower something useful.' Godric grumbled only getting a raised eyebrow from Merlin before hurrying to stand beside Fleur who had just given Harry a kiss in farewell, waiting for Arthur with impatience. As soon as Arthur reached them, a wide smirk on his face the three disappeared.

Harry turned to Merlin who held a staff out to him, it was old and gnarled and at least as tall as he was.

'The first step of Grand Sorcery is to create a staff to channel it.' Harry held the staff and inspected the grain of the wood, trying to feel something from the staff, like when you pick up a new wand. Nothing.

No feeling of warmth or the sudden urge to drop it, it felt like any other piece of wood.

'Can you change the mindscape to a forest?' Merlin asked and Harry blinked before nodding.

Moments later they found themselves in a forest, great trees that soared into the air, thick moss covering the ground and the air hung heavy with magic.

Merlin grinned and Harry narrowed his eyes.

'What's funny?' Harry demanded but Merlin only chuckled, waving his hand around them.

'Subconsciously, you must know what these trees are?'

Harry shook his head, not having a clue, though they felt familiar somehow.

'These trees are what your first wand is made from.'

Harry's eyes widened.

'Holly?'

Merlin nodded with a smile.

'Now I will show you how to make the staff, but you will have to make your own one in the real world at a later stage. The shield is about the only piece of Grand Magic you can do without a staff to channel that amount of power.'

Harry grinned, excited that he would be able to make his own staff, then maybe he could relocate mountains like Merlin.


	38. Chapter 38 - Avalon

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 38: Avalon.**

Harry awoke with a start, blinking his eyes as he was torn from his mindscape. Merlin hadn't finished giving him the introduction on Grand Sorcery. Intent was the key, at least until Merlin explained further during the day.

Absently, he batted away an insistent bird as it hopped on his face.

Wait. Bird?

Harry opened his eyes to see Fawkes sitting on his chest, his beady black eyes glaring at him. He shook Fleur who clung to him as she slept.

'Fleur wake up, something's wrong.' He shook her again and she groaned, tearing herself from slumber before staring at a worried-looking Fawkes.

The two glanced at each other before leaping out of bed and rushing to dress.

* * *

Two minutes later, Harry and Fleur stood in front of the Headmaster's desk, fully dressed for battle. Fawkes leapt off Harry's shoulder, batting his head with a wing before landing on his perch. If birds could smirk, he was sure Fawkes would be doing so.

'Damn bird, I insult him one time…' he grumbled drawing an intrigued look from Fleur and an amused smirk from Dumbledore.

Harry noticed the bags beneath Dumbledore's eyes. The old man looked like he hadn't slept in years.

'Harry, Miss Delacour, Avalon is under attack. The Aurors are there but they are being overwhelmed.'

Harry turned to Fleur who smiled back at him, her eyes however, were hard.

'We are ready Professor.' Harry declared before Fawkes landed on his shoulder. Harry's hand shot out to clasp Fleur's while Dumbledore placed a hand on Harry's other shoulder.

A moment later the three flashed away, leaving the Headmasters office.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes, it was not quite dawn, but the sun's rays were shedding light on the world. They stood on a raised dais, overlooking farmland and the city of Glastonbury to the west. The city was shining with all the lights a muggle city has, streetlights, cars, houses.

They stood on Avalon, the true Avalon, underneath the repelling charms and glamour's that fooled even wizards, hiding the resting place of King Arthur in plain sight of wizards and muggles alike.

But how did they get there? The wards should still be up, stopping even Fawkes from knowing where it was.

Avalon had an open temple at its peak, with a single stone area with the entrance to a tomb in it. Apart from the temple at which Harry and the others stood, the hill was covered in apple trees. The apple trees were not evenly spaced like an orchard, they were haphazard, and it was clear they had once been an orchard, but over a thousand years had passed since that was the case.

However, the Tor was aflame.

Bodies lay scattered through the shattered and burnt trees. Bodies of British Aurors and those of French and other European nations lay nearby, though there were more bodies of normal witches and wizards than all the Aurors combined.

Harry realised the wards around Avalon must have fallen, Morgana would have torn them down. Did that mean Avalon was visible to muggles?

The crack of gunfire echoed through the night as Harry realised muggles were involved in this battle too, answering his question from moments before. He ducked as a bullet whizzed by his head into a tree, he spun, one wand creating a shield against solid objects large enough for the three of them while his other wand flashed, sending a stunner at the muggle that Harry saw in the distance.

'Are we too late sir?' Harry asked, seeing the surrounding devastation. Dumbledore shook his head.

'If we were, Morgana would have already left.'

'_Young Harry, this, this is where I died.'_ Arthur's voice echoed in Harry's mind.

'Sir, this is where Arthur died. He is likely buried in that tomb behind us.' Harry sighed, knowing that Morgana would come to them. He turned to face Fleur, her eyes were wide, searching for her father.

He lay a hand on her shoulder, drawing her gaze to him.

'Fleur, will you fight with me? I need your help to defeat Morgana. Then we'll find your father, I am sure he is alive, just under Morgana's influence.'

Fleur gave a slow nod, followed by a second sharper nod, a look of determination filled her eyes.

'I love you 'Arry.' She said, squeezing his hand before releasing him and beginning her transformation.

'I love you too Fleur.' Harry murmured, trying not to watch her transformation.

A bullet bounced off Harry's shield followed by the flash of a bone breaking curse.

A bright flash of white light signalled Fleur's transformation ending and Harry marvelled at her as she glowed in the pre-dawn light. She turned to him with a smirk. Her brilliant white wings tucked into her back.

'Get ready 'Arry. I'm going to call Morgana to us. But this will leave me out of the fight, you'll understand if it works.' She grinned and Dumbledore glanced between the two with a concerned expression.

'I trust you know what you're doing Miss Delacour?' the aged headmaster asked receiving twin grins from Harry and Fleur.

Fleur closed her silver eyes and the glow around her intensified for a moment and Harry noticed Dumbledore's eyes widen as he watched.

'She may be starting to pick up some of my more Gryffindor traits sir.' Harry explained, the old man only groaned, drawing his wand.

Fleur's wings spread wide a moment later and she leapt into the air, her wings beating as she drew herself up into the sky above the Tor. Harry felt her Alpha Allure flare to life, stronger than he had ever experienced and within moments the sounds of gun and spell fire stopped.

Avalon was silent as Fleur landed on the dais beside Harry. Her breathing was heavy as she leant on Harry for support.

'Fleur, you okay?' he asked, getting only a nod in response.

The world was silent for a moment before a piercing scream rent the air, Fleur dropped to her knees, his arms supporting her as he supported her to the ground.

'It is exhausting my 'Arry. Please, when she comes, finish 'er quickly.' She gasped, struggling for breath as her Allure pulsed, looking like it caused her pain.

'I am dominating the minds of 'er army. For the moment, 'er army is our army. Though I cannot 'old it for long.' Harry's eyes widened, staring at her in shock.

'Can you explain that?' he asked in a whisper.

She smiled up at him, it was weak, and she looked like she would pass out any moment.

'My power is greater than the Veela's allure. It is akin to the Imperious curse, but more like its opposite.' She explained; her eyes half lidded but Harry saw the fear in them. Fear of his judgement.

He leant down and kissed her, full of passion. She smiled again, her silver eyes sparkling.

'Where the Imperious curse takes away all desires except for the will of the caster, my power uses the same emotions as the allure, enhancing the targets desire and using it to give them a command.' She coughed before taking a deep breath.

Harry smiled down at her in his arms, brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

'Thank you, Fleur. I'll take it from here. I love you.' He murmured as he kissed her lips.

Harry stood and she moved to her knees, absently he realised the wings would make it uncomfortable to be laying down like he was going to place her.

He turned away from Fleur as another piercing scream rent the air, causing another ripple through Fleur. The screams seemed to cause her pain.

Moments later, another soul wrenching scream tore through the air, carrying with it a deep sense of rage and impending doom. It sounded like the call of some godlike bird of prey. The scream went on for what to Harry felt like an eternity, far longer than anything natural should be able to screech.

And it was getting closer by the moment.

Dumbledore turned to Harry.

'Did you hear that?' the old man asked as the scream died off.

Harry turned a pained grimace to the headmaster.

'I could _taste_ that.' He deadpanned.

Dumbledore shook his head with a disappointed expression and Harry scowled, he thought it had been funny.

Fleur chuckled weakly as she struggled to maintain her power.

'Thanks Fleur, I thought it was funny too. But don't worry about my ego at the moment, you have more important things to worry about.'

Harry glanced toward the direction the scream had come from.

A shiver ran up his spine as the scream rent the air again and something battered against his occlumency. It was the allure, but it was warped, distorted. The opposite of Fleur's Alpha Allure, but nearly as strong. It searched for some place to take hold and Harry felt a grin cover his face, he was immune to this form of the allure as well.

The scream, now so close, held such rage, it tore at his mind. It was like claws of pure rage tearing at his occlumency barriers. The scream promised pain and death to the one who had taken what belonged to it.

Then Harry saw the source. He narrowed his eyes.

'Sir, up in the air above the rising sun.' he cautioned, and the headmaster nodded.

'Blasting curses, on my mark.' Dumbledore ordered and Harry pointed both wands at the black spot growing larger in front of the sun.

'Mark.'

Dumbledore fired a blasting hex from his knobbly elder-wood wand while Harry sent one from both wands. Both following them up with a barrage of the same toward the flying creature until moments later the creature ducked and weaved between their spell fire and landed in the clearing with them, as graceful as an Owl.

The creature stood before them, Harry standing beside Dumbledore, in front of Fleur. The creature was six feet tall, and on closer inspection was somewhere between the avian form of the Veela and their human form. Her wings were black, as was her hair as it waved in the wind like a pit of snakes trying to escape. Her violet eyes were narrowed, filled with rage and hatred as they locked on Fleur's crumpled form.

The woman's robes were made of feathers with a split down the front of the robe to display tantalising hints of her naked flesh beneath. All across her body were ritual tattoos that shone with a violet light.

The woman who Harry recognised as Morgana stood, a staff held in one hand, her lithe body taut with rage held out a taloned hand toward Fleur.

Harry figured she had found a stable form somewhere between the avian Veela form and the Alpha Veela form that Merlin had shown Fleur.

Morgana gave off waves of hatred and rage much like a Dementor gave off and fed on despair, it was almost a palpable aura that surrounded the black-haired woman. Her beauty was stunning, her body was perfect, and Harry could understand what the whispered rumours of the Veela meant when he looked at Morgana who seemed to embody that aspect of the Veela.

But Harry's mind went to Fleur and knew beyond a doubt that _she_ is what the Veela should aspire to be, kind and calm rather than the hatred and rage that rolled off of Morgana.

She was an infection in the hearts of the Veela, and only by removing that infection could the Veela people move past the origins of their race and become the people they were truly meant to be.

'You dare steal my minions little girl?' Morgana purred, like a cat playing with a mouse, then Morgana's face twisted in a snarl.

'Nothing will stop me from returning my brother, least of all a young tart not pure enough to feel the Call.'

Harry steps forward, drawing the violet gaze of Morgana.

'Your brother is long since dead. He has no interest in returning from Elysium. Least of all to this time, so different from his own.'

Her violet eyes glowed as she waved her hand at him, dismissing him. A flare of pure purple rage rushed toward him, scorching the air between them and leaving the taste of ozone in the clearing.

Harry's shield flared under the onslaught but held true.

'You have no idea about what you speak, clueless boy.' She snarled.

Harry grinned, tapping his head with his wand.

'I have your brother in my head, and he is horrified at what you have become.'

Her eyes widened, staring in shock at him for a moment, then they narrowed. Morgana's eyes glowed purple once more, combined with her ritual tattoos the light flooded the clearing and was almost painful to behold.

Harry felt roots rip free from the ground and wrap around his limbs. With a casual wave of his wands, the roots exploded, the splinters deflected away from the fight.

'Headmaster, can you focus on protecting Fleur? I don't know enough defensive magic. We took your warning the other day to heart. I don't want to face an army if she gets distracted by pain.' Harry asked and noticed the old man's nod of agreement.

Dumbledore created a wall of stone between Morgana and Fleur, protecting her from direct attacks.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Morgana. He strode toward her, his wands shielding or batting away purple flames with every step. Her violet glow grew more intense as she drew on her magic.

The wind picked up around them, created by the sheer heat that Morgana created with her bastardised Veela flames. Her robe of feathers clung to her body like a second skin as the feathers became ruffled in the wind.

With every step Harry took toward her, with one wand he shielded her flames while the other fired a stream of lethal spells, piercing, blasting, exploding hexes, all of them overpowered.

His wands were smoking with the amount of magic he was pouring into his spells and had small sparks of electricity erupting from the tips that arced up his arms before dissipating.

His stream of overpowered spells crashed into a blue sphere shield Harry recognised at once as the Grand Shield. Harry clenched his jaw.

In his peripheral vision he saw a handful of Veela land around them in a circle in their avian forms, handfuls of fire held in their claws, only to be attacked by Dumbledore the moment they landed from the headmaster's position beside Fleur.

The Veela must be unaffected by Fleur's Alpha Allure. With an internal shrug, Harry ignored the Veela, leaving them to the headmaster and turned his power toward Morgana who stared at him with even more hatred than she held for Fleur.

Harry tossed every lethal spell he could think of at her, none of them could break the glistening Grand Shield that she held with her glowing staff.

With narrowed eyes, he returned his holly wand to its holster and called the Sword of Gryffindor that until that moment still been embedded in the Black Citadel from the day before.

He tossed the sword at Morgana, catching it with his power and directing it toward her. The sword crashed into the Grand Shield like a thunderbolt from the heavens and a blinding flash of light lit up the clearing, after it faded the sword lay embedded in a nearby tree up to the hilt and Harry snarled.

Drawing his holly wand once more Harry poured his power through them, firing what Battle Magic he knew with as much power as his wands could handle, smoking and sparking as they were.

Great blasts of red and gold light sped across the clearing at Morgana, flaring her Grand Shield but still unable to penetrate the blue barrier. He deflected the flames she sent at him and the land beneath them cracked and blackened from the power the two poured into their spells.

She jabbed her staff at him, her shield falling as she unleashed a wave of purple flames that rushed toward him. It was a wall of fire covering the whole clearing as it blackened the ground and set nearby trees ablaze, even the charred remains of trees already burnt.

Harry used both wands to create a Grand Shield of his own around himself, as well as Dumbledore and Fleur behind him.

The heat pouring through the shield caused the grass to wither and blacken and sweat poured down his face only to dry a moment later from the heat. The very air he breathed burned his lungs and he fell to one knee; he felt the power draining as his shield was being overwhelmed. The shield drawing more magic from him the more it was taxed.

Somehow the purple flames were more powerful than Fiendfyre, but he figured it was a Grand Sorcery fire spell because she had used the staff to create it.

In a detached corner of his mind, he wondered why she didn't use the flashier Grand Sorcery spells. He figured it was because she didn't want to destroy Avalon.

His Grand Shield flickered, a lick of purple flame rushed in through the brief opening only to dissipate as Harry poured more magic into his shield, feeling it greedily use what little magic power he had left in his core.

Then the purple flames stopped, Harry held the shield until the heat haze lifted, showing him Morgana holding her Grand Shield with her staff once more.

The Veela who attacked earlier were unconscious and the clearing was filled with people. Aurors from a dozen different ministries, regular wizards and witches, even dozens of muggles.

All were throwing everything they could into the Grand Shield covering Morgana whose glowing violet eyes were locked on Harry through his Grand Shield. If looks could kill, Harry knew even the memory of him would no longer exist.

Harry dropped his Grand Shield, making a deafening pop that hurt his ears as the air inside the shield mixed with the air outside. He hobbled to kneel beside Fleur, taking the opportunity to see her and try to regain some of his power.

Dumbledore stood over the two using his long years of knowledge and study to great effect, the headmaster's spells laying a withering amount of power into the shield.

Harry knelt beside Fleur, a hand on her shoulder watching as a tear slid down her face.

'Are you okay?' he asked.

'It hurts so much 'Arry.' She gasped and Harry his breath hitched.

'_Harry, she's calling on her life force to sustain her magic, she won't last much longer before she exhausts that. If that happens, she dies.'_ Merlin gasped.

'Fleur release your power. Nothing is worth you dying.' He whispered in her ear. She shook her head. Her silver hair falling down across her face even as it waved in the wind, hiding it from view.

He knew asking again would do nothing but waste precious time.

Taking a breath, Harry stood and faced Morgana.

Morgana's ritual tattoos glowed so brightly that many of the wizards and witches shielded their eyes with one hand while their other fired spells at her under Fleur's control.

Harry held out a hand, summoning an apple tree branch as long as he was tall.

He held it wandlessly with one hand while using his holly wand, he carved runes along its length. They were rough and imperfect, but within a minute he held in both hands a staff.

A _very_ poorly made staff.

'_Harry, no, stop. If you channel your magic into that, you'll bury Britain beneath the ocean.'_ Merlin shouted; his thoughts were echoed by the other two spirits in Harry's mind.

Harry ignored them.

Merlin hadn't gotten around to teaching him anything more about Grand Sorcery than it was intent based. Magic itself comprised three cornerstones, will, power, intent. He knew it would work, it had to, or he would lose Fleur and he couldn't contemplate that. The thought of losing her fuelled his will. His magical core, what remained after their first round earlier fuelled his power.

With both hands clasping the apple tree staff, Harry focussed on his intent. His eyes glowed a brilliant green and his ritual runes glowed white as he bent everything he was to a single intent. The staff pointed at Morgana showed cracks coming from his hands and spreading across the surface of the poorly made staff.

A single thought repeated in Harry's mind, his intent pouring into the staff that crumbled under the dregs of Harry's power flowing through it.

_**Break**_.

Morgana's staff exploded in her hands.

Shards of her staff raked her flawless face and body, burying deep into her flesh. Her howl of rage and pain could be heard even over the sheer tumult of a hundred spells speeding toward her no longer shielded body.

A moment later she exploded as a hundred different spells crashed into her at the same time, spraying the clearing with her remains.

Harry's own staff exploded after its only spell, raking his body with shards of wood. The force of the explosion threw him to the ground, but after shaking his head clear for a moment he pushed himself to his feet, his arm reaching out to the sword of Gryffindor that appeared in his hand.

He turned his will to the sword, willing it to send Morgana back to the underworld.

The wraith of Morgana rose above where she had once stood and twisted to face Harry as the sword glowed white.

With a smirk, Harry tossed the sword at the spirit before waving a hand to catch it with his power.

The sword clattered to the ground as Harry stared at it in disbelief.

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder.

'May I Harry?' Dumbledore asked with a soft smile. Harry nodded.

With a familiar swish and flick, Dumbledore launched the sword through the air, piercing the wraith of Morgana.

A soul wrenching scream filled the clearing, a scream filled with despair, fear and loss. Then the wraith of Morgana dissipated like smoke in the wind and the Sword of Gryffindor fell to the ground.

Harry sighed, feeling himself sway on his feet. Blackness encroached on his vision, but he ignored it. He turned to move past the headmaster, he stumbled toward Fleur who still knelt behind Dumbledore's stone wall.

'Fleur let go. Release your power, we won.' He croaked as he fell to his knees beside her, his arms holding her shoulders.

'Fleur, please let go. I need to you let go. I can't do this without you.' He pleaded, tears flowing down his face, mixing with the blood oozing from the shards of wood in his face.

Darkness flooded his vision and he couldn't ignore it any longer. He slumped beside Fleur as oblivion took him.


	39. Chapter 39 - Waking Up

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 39: Waking Up.**

Harry opened his eyes to a familiar white ceiling. It was morning and the light stung his eyes. Blinking, he wondered why he was there and not in his mindscape where he usually was when not awake.

He tensed his body, trying to sit up but a sharp pain tore through him, forcing him to lay back on the bed with a hiss through clenched teeth. Harry's gaze was on the ceiling and it hurt too much to move his head.

Memories drifted into his conscious mind and he tried to get up again, forgetting about the pain. With a strangled gasp of agony, he collapsed back to the bed.

'Fleur.' He croaked, drawing Madame Pomphrey's attention.

Harry only then realised that his voice had been rasping and barely audible.

'Mister Potter, I really wish you would stop coming here in a worse condition every time. Now, everything is okay. Fleur is in the bed next to you, asleep. You both have slept for the last two days, you exhausted your magical cores, she more so than you.' Poppy explained with a soothing voice that Harry felt himself relax at hearing the words.

Harry coughed as he swallowed a collection of potions, each seeming to taste worse than the last. Once he had taken the potions forced on him, there was a smile on the older woman's face.

'Mister Potter, you did a heroic thing at Avalon. I won't pretend to understand what you did, but you saved a lot of people, now those people who had been controlled can go home to their families. All thanks to you, you saved more than the people who were present.' A small tear ran down her face as she leaned over his face so he could see her, then she frowned.

'Though I wish you weren't so damn reckless at the same time.' She finished before smirking and waving a wand at something behind his head.

A copper plaque levitated into his field of view.

"_Harry Potter's bed of recovery_." was embossed on the plaque, bold for anyone entering the hospital wing to see.

With a wave of her wand the plaque went back to its place on the wall.

'The headmaster thought it would be a good time to commemorate what seems to be an increasing trend with you gracing my infirmary with your presence.' She smirked and Harry laughed.

Or tried to, his chest was tight, and pain tore through him.

'I think it's starting to increase over the years.' He joked, a grin on his face as she huffed, the corner of her lips twitching as her eyes danced, the only signs of her amusement.

'That was why Albus has commemorated this bed.' She shook her head and turned away from him.

Harry leaned back in the bed, allowing his body to relax as much as possible. His eyes grew heavy as he thought about how glad he was that Fleur was okay after what she had done at Avalon.

* * *

Harry woke in a forest, though it was a forest filled with trees he had never seen. There was a soft light shining through the leaves, showing the forest floor in dappled light. It looked like it was late afternoon as the sun shone down at him on an angle, hinting that the forest would be dark in just a few hours. There was a warm breeze, something that confused Harry who was unfamiliar with the warm breezes, especially as he spent most of his time in Scotland.

A stream was nearby, the tinkling sound of water winding down the slight slope of the forest, making him think he was on a mountain somewhere. It was a peaceful, relaxing place that he couldn't help the sense of peace that filled him.

Then there was sobbing, it was soft and barely audible over the stream and occasional birdsong, but it was there.

Harry turned, looking for the source and behind him, he found the stream about thirty metres away. Beside the stream, kneeling beside the water's edge was Fleur, her face in her hands.

Harry moved on quiet feet until he was only a few metres away from her, he saw tears down her cheeks and her shoulders slumped. She looked miserable.

'Fleur?' he asked, and she froze.

A moment later their gazes met, and her eyes widened at seeing him before she shot at him. In an instant her arms wrapped around him and her lips crushing his with a desperation he hadn't felt from her before.

He gave in to the kiss and returned it with fervour, his own need to reassure himself that she was okay fuelling his need.

It could have been moments or hours later, he would never know. Especially in what was clearly a mindscape, but he broke the kiss. His thumbs removing the tears from her face before wrapping her in his arms.

'What's wrong?' he asked, his voice low, the need to be quiet in such a relaxing place keeping him quiet.

She beamed at him, her eyes shining with happiness that was not present before their kiss. Her body seemed to exude relief for a moment before she took a deep breath.

'I've been in this mindscape for four days now. None of our spirit companions are here and I felt nothing from you. I've been alone with nothing but my memories of Avalon.' She said, tears escaping her once more.

Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her, feeling her tension leave her as she slumped against him.

'I'm sorry for making you worry. We are currently in Hogwarts, the hospital wing and have been for the last two days. I wasn't in my mindscape for those days. Wait.' He blinked and pulled back to look into her sapphire eyes.

'Is this your mindscape?'

She smiled at Harry, nodding.

'Where are we?' he asked and Fleur sniffed, wiping away a stray tear.

'This is the stream where Gabrielle and I used to play in when we were children.' She turned and gestured toward a large lake just visible through the trees. The lake was hundreds of metres below and away from them.

Harry turned and looked at the lake, not having noticed it before. Dozens of small boats peppered the lakes surface and Harry could see blue sky above it. Squinting he could make out bright colours and movement down at the beach of the lake where people swam in the warm sun.

'That is Lake Geneva, or as it is called in France, Lac Leman. We are nearby the city of Geneva and this stream is in a part of my family's estate.' She wore a slight blush as Harry smiled at her.

Harry grinned; his eyes locked on hers.

'It's beautiful. I'm glad that I've seen it. Now that I know somewhere like this exists, anything is possible. I've never been to France, but if everything is like this, I can understand why you were never fond of Hogwarts.' Fleur beamed at him, her brilliant white smile lighting up the forest.

'I must admit, I 'ave grown accustomed to 'Ogwarts. But I would very much like to return 'ome someday. I would like to show you around.'

Harry smiled and squeezed her hand.

'Then I would be honoured if you would show me around now, at least until we get the opportunity to do so for real.' Her eyes sparkled as he spoke and she nodded, leading him deeper in the forest.

She pointed out places where Gabrielle had once hidden in games of hide and seek.

Harry grinned at Fleur, stopping their walk and using their connected hand, spun her into his arms. He leant over to kiss her, a soft kiss that spoke of the love they shared.

'Gabrielle must be very important to you, considering the difference in your ages.' She gave him a tender smile, tinged with sadness. He could see the affection she had for her sister.

'Despite the age gap, we 'ave always been the best of friends. Veela, due to the differing rates of maturation stay looking young and girlish until late in their teens. Because of this, my peers abandoned me.' She began, her tone hinting at later pain.

'So, I took comfort in the love of my sister and we were inseparable. For a few years we looked like twins, until I matured. In the next few years, Gabrielle will come into her Veela 'eritage and 'er life will become more difficult. The Allure will develop and any friends she 'as left now will leave 'er, like they left me.'

Harry squeezed her hand and she smiled back at him.

She turned her gaze from him and glanced at a nearby tree.

'You see that tree? Gaby once 'id from me inside that 'ollow, it took me 'ours to find it. I was so worried I 'ad lost 'er by the end that I was in tears.' She took in a breath before turning back to Harry.

'Of the two of us, I am the more powerful, both in magic and my Veela 'eritage. But Gabrielle is special, she 'as a way with people. She doesn't need the allure to 'ave them wrapped around 'er finger.' She wore a soft smile which turned sad.

'I wish that Gaby didn't 'ave to go through the pain of the maturation. The few friends she 'as will leave 'er, jealousy creating a split between them and 'er 'eart will break. She was always the more sensitive of the two of us. It is going to be so 'ard for 'er.' A tear slid down her cheek, a moment later Harry's thumb wiped it away.

Harry cupped her chin with his hand, smiling as he kissed her.

'We will be there for Gaby. I will do everything in my power to make her happy, to help her through her maturation.'

Fleur smiled through her tears and lunged at Harry, her arms wrapping around his neck and her lips locking with his own.

* * *

Harry woke up in the hospital wing again, blinking away his disorientation and was relieved that he had rolled onto his side during sleep. He and Fleur had gotten rather passionate in her mindscape after their emotional discussion and his hospital gown did nothing to hide his body's reaction to their passion.

He shifted and found most of his pain was gone, leaving him just feeling weak.

It was night and moonlight streamed in through the window. Gabrielle sat on a chair between his and Fleur's beds, her hand holding Fleur's even as they slept. A smile grew on his face as he sat up in the bed, thankful his body had recovered enough to do so.

Apolline and Dominique sitting in chairs on Fleur's opposite side, leaning on each other in their sleep. He was glad that Dominique was okay, but he was sure he'd get the story once everyone was awake.

With a thought, he pointed a finger in front of his eyes and ghostly numbers appeared before them. He sighed; it was four thirty. It would still be a few hours before anyone else woke.

A final glance at the sleeping Delacour's kept the smile on his face as he stood and padded over to the window overlooking the moonlit lake. With a careless wave of his hand his hospital gown changed into a plain set of black robes. In the distance he could make out the giant squid playing with something on the far side of the lake.

The sight of the lake made Harry remember Lac Leman from Fleur's mindscape and an idea formed in his mind.

''Arry?' he heard from behind him, he turned to see Gabrielle, awake and wiping her eyes as she stood between her chair and him.

He knelt in front of her with open arms and saw her bloodshot, puffy eyes. It looked like she had been crying before she fell asleep.

'Hey Gaby.' He greeted with a smile to the thirteen-year-old girl, though she looked no more than ten.

She closed the distance between the two of them and threw herself into his waiting arms.

'_Thank you, Harry, for coming back and for looking after my sister_.' she whispered in French, her words so quiet that he only heard them due to the silence in the room.

He held Gabrielle to him in a tight embrace. She was only two years younger than him, closer to his age than Fleur was. Even though they were closer in years, Gabrielle would always be like his sister, much like Hermione he supposed.

Harry held her close before pulling away, kissing the top of her silver hair.

'_I will always do everything I can to protect Fleur. Though this time she saved me.'_ He whispered; her sky-blue eyes widened at the admission.

Then a mischievous grin crossed his face.

'_Gaby, do you want to help me do something special for Fleur?'_

With wide eyes she nodded, and together the two moved to Harry's bed, sitting across from each other, their legs crossed.

* * *

As the first rays of light entered the hospital wing the next morning, waking the elder Delacour's from their uncomfortable sleep. As they opened their eyes Harry noticed and gave them a wide grin and gestured to remain quiet with a finger to his lips, his eyes motioning to a still sleeping Fleur.

Harry and Gabrielle sat huddled on Harry's bed with Harry's wand waving every few moments conjuring vibrant coloured ribbons while Gabrielle connected them together, creating long chains of fabric that Harry then levitated and stuck to the walls.

A moment later, Madame Pomphrey opened the door to her office attached to the hospital wing to check on them for her morning rounds and stopped in shock. She stared at Harry and he grinned at her.

She looked around the hospital wing one more time before shaking her head and walking back into her office.

A minute later, Fleur stirred and Harry beamed at her as Gabrielle rushed to her sisters' side. Fleur's sapphire blue eyes opened to see Harry, then Gabrielle. Harry blew her a kiss then gave a pointed glance behind her, toward her parents.

'What is 'appening 'arry?' Fleur asked and Harry grinned.

'You should look around the room.' Harry suggested as her parents and sister held back tears.

Fleur blinked then looked around the room and her face took on a look of shock.

Harry and Gabrielle had recreated the forest scene she had shown him in her mindscape. The cloth he had conjured and with Gabrielle's help had turned the hospital wing into a set from a play. The walls of the hospital wing had the cloth hanging on them depicting images of trees from the forest.

A small light blue cloth stream wound its way through the hospital wing, they had recreated every other detail Harry could think of from Fleur's mindscape with cloth that he and Gabrielle prepared.

At first the small Veela was confused about his plan, but she had realised soon enough what he was planning and helped to add small details from that particular forest that Fleur hadn't shown Harry in the mindscape.

Harry watched as the elder Delacour's looked from Fleur's tear-filled eyes to the room around them, tears filling their own eyes as recognition filled their faces. He grinned as he saw Fleur notice her father, battered and bruised, but otherwise okay.

'Papa.' She breathed and Dominique captured his daughter in an embrace, tears falling from both their eyes.

'I'm so proud of you my flower. You saved my life and everyone else's.' The man squeezed Fleur and Harry leant down to Gabrielle's ear.

'You should join them Gaby.' He whispered and a moment later the little Veela wormed her way in between her sister and father, tears flowing from her eyes.

Harry gave the Delacour's a warm smile before turning away to admire the forest, Gabrielle had really been a great help making it.

'Harry?' Dominique's voice interrupted his thoughts, he turned to see the whole family looking at him. He cocked his head in confusion before Gabrielle squirmed out of her family's arms and ran across the room to take his hand.

Gabrielle pulled Harry over to join the family, pushing him onto the bed next to Fleur who rested a hand on his leg, a look of understanding and love on her face.

Harry met Apolline's eyes over Fleur's shoulder.

'You are a part of this family now Harry.'

He smiled, feeling the love of the family accept him. Harry saw Fleur's brilliant blue eyes watching him with the emotion he had struggled so long to understand. He felt her love for him, and he basked in it, truly accepting that he finally had a family of his own.

Gabrielle leapt onto his lap and wrapped him and Fleur in an embrace.

'_I love my brother and my sister._' She murmured into his chest where she clung until she fell asleep.


	40. Chapter 40- Titania Queen of the Faeries

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 40: Titania, Queen of the Faeries.**

Harry and Fleur sat on a bluff at the base of the western walls of the castle, watching the sunset across the black lake. Cold wind rushed past them, causing a shiver to run through Fleur. She wore a heavy coat and had warming charms on, but they could only do so much.

Harry stared at the golden waters below them and couldn't help the sigh that escaped him. He felt Fleur's hand rest on his knee, and he turned to look at her.

'What is wrong 'Arry? This is romantic non?' she wore a smile, but he could see the worry in her eyes.

'It's nothing.' He sighed, putting on a false smile which fell as soon as he saw her frown.

''Arry, you know I dislike that smile. Tell me what is on your mind.' She commanded and he gave another sigh, running a hand through his hair.

'It's just, we've had a great day just spending time with your family-'

'Our family 'Arry.' Fleur interrupted; Harry stared for a moment before nodding.

'Our family.' He agreed and she smiled at him.

'And that was brilliant, but I can't help but miss spending time with my friends. I mean we see them a few times a week at meals and stuff, and they're still my friends. But I can't help but feel a distance growing between us.' He admitted, his gaze moving back to watch the giant squid catch a duck from the surface of the lake.

Fleur squeezed his leg.

'I understand your feelings my love. Your friends growing distant and while they do not mean to, it doesn't stop it from 'appening.'

'Why is it happening?' he looked into her eyes and saw her struggling with memories of her younger years.

'It is likely because of all the time you spend with me. Between training and fighting and our sleeping arrangements. In that time, they are preparing for their OWLs.' Her voice lowered so he could barely hear her over the wind.

'You 'ave been living separate lives and I feel guilty about that.'

Harry jerked his head up and meet her gaze, confused.

'What do you mean?'

She just smiled; it was bittersweet.

'I admit, I 'ave revelled in the attention you give me. But if I were a true friend, I would 'ave tried to convince you to continue giving attention to your friends. You 'ave not stayed in the Gryffindor dorms for a long time and rarely see your friends-' she stopped as Harry put a finger to her lips.

'I don't blame you for any of this, at all. You are right, I have been living a separate life to my friends. But I have been taking this path, in part, to stop them from having to.' He paused, trying to convey his feelings just with his eyes, locked on her own.

'You are right that I no longer stay in the Gryffindor dorms and don't have time to see my friends. But that is okay, because right now, I am doing everything I want to do.' He pulled her hand from his leg and kissed her fingers as he held her trembling hand in both of his.

'I can't think of anything I would rather do than spend my time with you. In time, after all this chaos is over, then maybe I can try to go back to normal with my friends. We are growing in different paths.' He kissed her hand again.

'If I can shield them from this darkness I will, they have almost died too many times already. I would do the same for you if I thought you would accept it.' He added and smiled at her brilliant smile as she leant in to kiss him.

He revelled in the kiss and when they finished, he pulled back, a goofy grin on his face before he leaned forward, their foreheads touching.

'Every moment I have spent with you has been some of the best of my life. I am so glad, every day, that you told me to write you after the tournament. I don't know what I would have done without you to support me.' He breathed out, feeling odd that tears threatened to escape his eyes.

Fleur wrapped him in an embrace, tears flowing down her face.

'You 'ave no idea 'ow 'appy that makes me 'Arry.'

He felt the tremors running through her body as she clung to him and he held her closer to him. Harry pulled away from her to look into her eyes, he cupped her cheek with his hands and with a lopsided grin leant in to kiss her.

Without his hands to help support him, his weight fell onto her, unprepared for the extra weight they both fell, lips still connected as the kiss deepened with Harry pinning Fleur to the grass.

* * *

Later that night, Harry and Fleur stood in his mindscape in front of Merlin, Arthur and Godric. They stood at the peak of one of the mountains overlooking the Hogwarts of Godric's time.

'I am glad that you two finally decided to join us.' Merlin grumbled as Harry and Fleur glanced at each other with small grins.

'Sorry Merlin we got, distracted.' Harry gave the elderly wizard a cheeky grin and the long-bearded spirit groaned and ran a hand down his face.

Merlin glanced at the other two spirits.

'Are youth always this easily distracted?' he asked and both Arthur and Godric smirked.

'Well…' Godric started, sharing a look with Arthur.

'Yes.' Both spirits said at the same time with wide grins, causing Merlin to groan before turning back to Harry and Fleur.

'In any case, now that you have arrived, we can get to work. I have created a new spell that should work with your wands. This should work against the Dementor Knights, so you do not have to resort to killing them all with your sword, Harry.' Merlin said, raising his eyebrows at Harry who grinned.

'You got it working? Great, wait… how did you test it?' Harry cocked his head to the side and Merlin frowned.

'Well, it has worked in my simulations made from your observations in your last fight with them. But in terms of real-world testing, there is none. But better this than having you be the only way to kill these creatures.' Merlin growled and Harry held up his hands in surrender.

'Works for me. So how do we do this?' he asked and noticed Fleur's eyes dancing in mirth, before realising Arthur and Godric shared her thoughts. Even Merlin's mouth was curled in a tiny grin, it was good to be around friends.

Taking a deep breath, Merlin waved a hand and a Dementor appeared beside him, though it possessed nothing but the appearance, so was just an image.

'This is a normal Dementor. The normal way to deal with them in this time period is to use the "Expecto Patronum" spell.' He waved a plain stick in his hand and a hummingbird shot out of it and chased the image of the Dementor away.

Then the hummingbird disappeared and the Dementor returned to its motionless position beside Merlin.

'The Patronus Charm is a guardian. Made from your positive emotions. Now emotions are one of the most potent ways to influence a spell, and a spell that is driven almost exclusively by emotions is very powerful. Many adult wizards cannot perform the spell, or so your knowledge tells me Harry.'

Harry nodded; beside him Fleur did the same.

'That is what I was told when I was learning it, and the people who marked my Charms OWL seemed shocked that I could do it.'

Merlin nodded to himself.

'The charm "Expecto Patronum" literally means _I await a guardian, _the combination of the Latin phrasing and the emotional connection create the Patronus, in whatever form matches the caster best. Now the Patronus changes between people and even the same persons Patronus can change in certain circumstances, such as the casters character is significantly changed in some way.' Merlin turned to look at Fleur.

'Now, I know Harry can cast the spell, but I don't know if you can. But for simplicity, Harry, can you cast the spell for us?'

Harry grinned before drawing his holly wand and casting the spell without wand motions or words.

An eagle shot out of his wand, chasing away the faux Dementor before returning to land before Harry and preen its feathers.

Harry stared at the bird and felt a sense of loss. He looked back up to Merlin, a question in his gaze.

Merlin chuckled.

'Harry, have you had any significant life changes since the last Patronus you've cast? Or perhaps you are using a different memory?'

Harry glanced at Fleur with a blush on his face before turning back to Merlin.

'Oh, a yes to both I suppose.'

Merlin gave a soft smile.

'Then that would be why your Patronus has changed. But if you want to look at it spiritually, the eagle is chief over all winged creatures and flies higher than any other bird, it bestows freedom and courage to those who see it. The Eagle is associated with multiple religious deities, Zeus of Ancient Greece, Christ and various Native American religious traditions hold them in high regard. In fact, Eagles are the peak of whatever form of symbolism you would like to consider. Or so all those books you glanced at in your youth tell me.' Harry nodded, the information rushing through his mind as he tried to understand it.

He still wore a bittersweet smile as he watched his Eagle Patronus disappear.

'Now, Flower. Can you perform the spell?' Merlin asked and Fleur gave a small smile before casting the spell with a flourish.

A swan soared out of her wand and settled in front of them, watching them with a wary eye.

Harry saw Fleur give the elegant bird a warm smile. He turned to Merlin with raised eyebrows.

'Yes Harry, I'll explain.' The elderly spirit gave a theatrical sigh.

'Swans denote purity of soul, faithfulness toward family, honesty, elegance and grace.'

Harry grinned at Fleur.

'That sounds pretty accurate.' She poked her tongue out at him and turned back to Merlin.

'So, Merlin, why did we call our Patronus' when they don't work on the Dementor Knights?' Harry cocked his head while Merlin rolled his eyes.

'If you would be patient, I would explain. In short, I have created a variant of the Patronus charm. It is cast in the same way as the normal Patronus, but the words are different.' Merlin held out the stick and pointed it at the faux Dementor who had returned, standing on an outcrop of rock a few metres away.

'_Expecto Telo.'_ Merlin called, enunciating each word so the two teens could hear it.

Out from the stick a spectral arrow sped out and tore through the Dementor before impacting on the ground where it quivered for a moment. The Dementor burst into white-ish blue flames before disappearing.

'Really? Is that it? Can that arrow truly injure a Dementor Knight?' Harry asked while Merlin scowled at him.

'Just try the spell, complain about it later. The spell in English means _I await a weapon._' Merlin growled and Harry huffed.

'_Expecto Telo.'_ Harry called out, using the same memory and emotions as for the Patronus. A bolt of spectral lighting burst out from his wand, burning through the air before striking the ground without a trace.

Harry groaned.

'Really? Lightning is my special weapon?'

Fleur turned to look at Harry, a wide grin on her face before she laughed.

Harry scowled.

'It matches your-' she laughed, one hand on her knee to hold her up while the other pointed at him.

'- your scar.' She breathed, regaining her breath while Harry scowled at her, though he felt a smile tugging at his lips.

'You try it then.' Harry motioned to the outcrop of rock the faux Dementor with a nod of his head.

She grinned at him before flourishing her wand.

'_Expecto Telo.'_

A spear shot out of her wand, tearing through the air until it buried itself beside Merlin's arrow.

'Good work you two. Now, we have a great deal to do before you return to the world of the living. So, let us begin.' Merlin clapped his hands together with a grin.

While Arthur and Godric each clapped a hand to the teen's shoulders.

* * *

The next morning, Harry and Fleur found themselves at the Gryffindor table sitting across from Hermione and Ron. Harry looked down to his breakfast to find more on it than there were moments before. He glanced at Fleur who wore a small smirk as she ate some cereal.

'English breakfasts are still too 'eavy for me 'Arry. I look forward to taking you to France where the food is better, you will too when you try it.' Fleur whispered in his ear and he gave her a grin.

Giving her a nod, he continued eating, turning to face a waiting Hermione as Ron shovelled food in his mouth. Now that he had been away from the behaviour for a while Harry found the habit disgusting like everyone else.

'So, Hermione. How are your studies? We haven't had much of a chance to catch up recently.' He began and she beamed at him, her brown eyes sparkling.

'Oh Harry, Arithmancy has been ever so exciting recently, we are working on the realignment theory proposed by Martin Raal, a spell creator in the Americas.' Her words came out too fast for Harry to follow and he blinked, giving a slow nod. Fleur gave a quiet chuckle beside him, hidden behind her hand.

It occurred to Harry that she probably hadn't spoken to anyone outside of class about anything intellectual since starting their fifth year. Ron wasn't exactly suited for that kind of discussion.

Hermione mistook his expression for incomprehension. Her beaming smile evaporated, and she glared at him. She was interrupted before she started by Ron.

'Hermione relax with the classwork stuff. Harry has already done his OWLs and is probably sick of doing advanced study for his NEWTs.' Hermione's jaw clenched and Harry noticed Fleur discreetly put up a silencing ward around the four of them.

'Harry James Potter.' The bushy haired witch shrieked.

'How could you not be taking your studies seriously? I thought maybe you grew up a little without Ron around constantly, but it looks like you've been too distracted.' Hermione glared at Fleur for a moment before turning back to Harry.

'I mean, Harry, these exams will dictate the rest of our lives!' she exploded, waving her arms about before stopping to catch her breath.

Harry sighed.

He closed his eyes for a moment then let out another sigh.

The temperature in the room dropped noticeably and students around the hall poked their heads up to see what the cause was, many of them rubbing their shoulders to keep warm.

He stood up, pushing his plate away from himself.

'I'm sorry.' He said, then seeing the uncomprehending stares from his friends he continued.

'I'm sorry that we've been spending our time trying to save lives rather than worrying about taking my NEWTs.'

With a brief glance at Fleur, who nodded at him, he turned and moved toward the door leading from the great hall.

Fleur huffed, and stood, turning to Hermione and Ron before leaning over.

''Arry and I have already sent two of the three wraiths back to the underworld. Each of them stronger than Dumbledore.'

She lowered the silencing ward and moved to follow Harry who hadn't gone far enough away to miss the exchange.

Outside the great hall, Harry moved toward the grand staircase to go up. He sighed as he moved.

'Why did that bother me so much? Of course, they're more concerned with school.'

Fleur's warm hand wrapped around his in response.

'I'm sorry Fleur. I lost my composure.' She shook her head with a smile as they walked.

'Non 'Arry. Perhaps after everything is over the three of you will be able to grow closer once more. Then you can just relax and focus on school.' Fleur suggested with a smile while Harry nodded.

'How about we go see your family? Perhaps they haven't finished their breakfast just yet.' He asked and smiled at the grin that split her face and the spring in her step at the words.

* * *

Before reaching the Delacour suite, Harry stopped. Fleur stopped and turned a few steps in front of him.

''Arry? What is wrong?' she asked, and he frowned.

'Fleur, when do you learn to apparate? I figure I should probably learn how to do it at some stage.' She stared at him, then blinked. Her head cocked to the side before shrugging.

'You don't know already?' she asked, and he shook his head.

'No one has taught me or mentioned anything like that. Lately it's just been Fawkes flaming me around to where I need to go.' He explained and she narrowed her eyes.

'I suppose I'd never seen you apparate before, so I'm not sure why I assumed you'd know.' She mused before taking his hands in hers.

'We'll see if any of the spirits can teach you, failing that. I'll teach you. It's easy once you get the hang of it.' She grinned, before tugging him toward her parents' rooms.

Once arriving at the Delacour's rooms, Fleur opened the door and entered. As Harry entered the room behind her, Gabrielle rushed past Fleur and wrapped her arms around his waist. Fleur looked shocked at the snub and Harry gave a smirk at her as she pouted.

Apolline laughed as she saw Fleur's expression.

'_Gaby, you should probably not let Fleur know that she has been replaced as your favourite person.'_ She said in French and Gabrielle shot away from Harry as if she'd been burned before leaping at her sister, apologising profusely.

Fleur laughed and gathered her sister in a strong hug. Harry grinned and moved to the elder Delacour's, greeting Apolline with a kiss to each cheek and a handshake with Dominique.

'May we join you for breakfast if it is not too late?' Apolline gave a bright smile before nodding and taking Harry's hands, leading him to the dining table filled with all manner of lighter breakfast choices.

He smiled as Gabrielle dragged Fleur to the table and the small Veela sat between the two teens, as she chattered at them both, a beaming smile on her face.

Harry turned to the elder Delacour's.

'Thank you for your hospitality.'

Both elder Delacour's shook their heads and gave a significant glance at the ecstatic Gabrielle.

'She adores the two of you, almost like you were her parents, not us.' Apolline grinned as both Fleur and Harry turned red.

The smile still on her face, Apolline turned to eating. Then between bites she looked at them.

'What are you two doing today? Surely not returning to training?'

Harry shook his head with a slight frown.

'No, Poppy told us we can't go back to training until tomorrow. Something about our cores being too sensitive today to risk it. But other than that, we're not sure.' He shared a glance with Fleur who shrugged before returning to her croissant as Gabrielle tried to steal it.

'We figured we'd spend the day catching up with everyone, but… well I've found that my friends and I have different priorities right now and it caused an argument. So, I'm not sure what we'll do now.' He trailed off, looking down at food in front of him.

Apolline smiled at Harry and Fleur, her own brilliant blue eyes sparkling.

'Well, I received word that there are some people coming today and they would like to meet the two of you.' She met Fleur's wide-eyed gaze.

'Especially you my Flower.'

Fleur stared at her mother; breakfast forgotten for the moment.

'Who? Why?'

Apolline gave a small smile and squeezed Dominique's hand.

'What do you know of how Morgana controlled her army?'

Fleur frowned before shaking her head.

'Almost nothing, why?'

Apolline gave a grim smile.

'Morgana installed herself in the Veela community as our Queen.' She paused then reached across the table and took Fleur's hand in hers.

'Legend tells that the Veela come from the Elves, a race of people that died during the time of Merlin.'

Fleur nodded, sharing a small grin with Harry.

'That much I know, Merlin told us during our training.'

Apolline stared at her daughter for a moment. She blinked then shook her head.

'Of course. Sorry, I forgot for a moment. Anyway, Morgana was Queen of the Veela, she had them refer to her as Titania. That was apparently what the Elves once called their Queen, before they died.'

'Morgan Le Fey used the Veela as conduits, extending her dominating presence through them to control her army of slaves.'

Apolline took a deep breath, Fleur squeezed her hand in support.

'But we are about to meet two of the oldest, most powerful Veela. Second only to the Matriarch who unfortunately lost her life when Morgana was defeated.'

Harry turned to Fleur and the two shared a glance, he gave her a smile and she grinned before turning back to her mother.

'Where are we meeting them?'

Apolline smiled.

'Near the southern end of the lake, near the entrance to Hogsmeade station.'

* * *

An hour later, Harry and the Delacour's stood at the entrance to the Hogsmeade station, waiting for the Veela to arrive.

As they reached the designated spot, Dominique drew Harry off to the side of the group.

'Okay Harry, one of these Veela will inherit the title of Matriarch. Which means they are like royalty. Try not to piss them off and remember that Veela generally are not fond of men and usually expect them to be subservient.' The man whispered and Harry nodded.

'I understand sir, thank you. I think after all this is over, I'll need to travel to understand other cultures, I'm a little out of my depth here.' Harry murmured and Dominique clapped a hand on his shoulder.

'Yes, once this is all over, I think you'll have deserved a long holiday.' He said as he led Harry back to the women.

Once standing beside Fleur once more she turned and gave him a wide smile, before leaning in to kiss him.

'What did you talk about 'Arry?' she whispered.

'He was just telling me to behave myself in front of the future leaders of the Veela.' Harry grinned at how wide her eyes went.

'What?' she hissed.

'I thought your mother would have told you. Sorry. Apparently these two that are coming are in line to become the next Matriarch.' He explained in a whisper and her hands went to her light blue robes, patting them down.

'I should 'ave worn something nicer.' She hissed, her face growing pale.

'No love, you look wonderful. Just relax, together we can do anything.' He whispered as he kissed her cheek and he felt her calm.

She released a breath, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them once more and letting out a sigh. Fleur smiled at Harry and nodded, turning to the Hogsmeade station where two beautiful women appeared with a pop, just outside the Hogwarts wards.

The two passed through the wards and Harry felt their allure. It was unrestrained and wild, primal, pure. He ignored its demands and saw Dominique was resisting its power, though the look of concentration on his face told of his struggle to remain impassive.

Harry watched as the two women moved with the grace of a cat toward them, their slinky dresses hugged their bodies, yet showed little skin. He found the style intriguing and wondered if Fleur would ever want to wear something similar.

He watched as the two women, looking to be in their thirties, though according to Apolline were at least twice that, each fell into a kneeling position before Fleur.

Fleur stared at the two Veela in shock, while Apolline gave a smile from her position behind and to the left of Fleur, Gabrielle in front of her and Dominique beside her. Dominique stared at the kneeling women in shock before clenching his jaw and forcing himself to remain impassive. Gabrielle stared at the two kneeling Veela in wonder, her mouth in an O shape.

The Veela on the left raised her head to Fleur.

'I am Anastasia, once Handmaiden to the Matriarch, before Morgan Le Fey took her body.'

Fleur bowed her head in respect and Harry saw a tear slide down her cheek. He reminded himself to ask her about it later.

'Morgan Le Fey named herself Titania, Queen of the Faeries. This title seemingly belonged to the Queen of the Elves before their end. The Veela nation only learned of this while under Morgan Le Fey's thrall. The title of Titania had been forgotten over time, but the Veela who had been held under Morgan Le Fey's sway wish to continue its use.' Anastasia continued, still kneeling before Fleur.

Fleur nodded, a small frown on her face.

'Why are you telling me this?'

Anastasia smiled, her gaze never leaving Fleur's, both their blue eyes never moving.

'The Veela have recognised you as the war leader of the Veela, granting you the title of Titania.'

Fleur blinked.

'While the Veela nation does not want to replace the Matriarch position as it has been instrumental in the survival of the Veela, we understand that in times of war, a different kind of leadership is required.' Anastasia explained.

'You are the most powerful among us, you stand alone among those who have transcended our avian transformation which was thought to be the pinnacle of our powers and instincts. You alone fought the domination of Morgan Le Fey's corruption.'

Fleur blushed, her gaze leaving Anastasia and meeting Harry's.

Harry grinned at her, finding it interesting when someone else got praised for doing the right thing.

At his nod, Fleur knelt and looked Anastasia in the eye.

'If the Veela nation has decided to honour me as Titania, it is my duty to accept. But the war is not even close to won.'

Anastasia's eyes widened in shock.

Fleur turned her gaze to Harry and nodded.

Harry knelt next to Fleur.

'There are three more enemies in Britain and Europe, each as powerful or more so than Morgana. Voldemort, Mordred and Grindelwald. These three are probably the worst of the lot.'

Silence reigned as Anastasia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After opening her eyes once more she nodded.

'What would Titania have the Veela do?'

Fleur smiled, to Harry it looked pained, awkward.

'I will fight this war with my bonded, 'Arry.'

Anastasia's eyes widened again, staring at Harry and the scar on his forehead.

'If the Veela will truly follow me, then they will follow 'Arry as well, for 'e is the key to defeating our enemies. It was 'e that finished Morgana, sending her back to the underworld.' Fleur finished.

Anastasia nodded then stood, mirrored by the silent Veela beside her. Harry and Fleur stood and watched Anastasia as the women gave a short bow before turning to leave. Disappearing with twin pops as they left the Hogwarts wards.

Once the two women left Harry turned to Fleur with a lopsided grin.

'How do you feel?'

Fleur groaned, glaring at him for a moment before huffing.

'I feel like I expect you do most of the time. Like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.'

Harry nodded, pulling her into an embrace. He felt her tension leave as she snuggled in against his chest and he breathed in the lavender scent of her hair and gave a content sigh.

He pulled back a few moments later to look in her eyes, he kissed her forehead.

'We should probably head back to the castle, maybe try to figure out what to do with this new title of yours?'

Fleur grinned at him, sliding an arm around his waist before turning to see the elder Delacour's grinning at them and Gabrielle wearing an impish smile.

Dominique smiled at the two of them, gesturing toward the path back to the castle and bowing slightly.

'The Boy Who Lived and Titania, Queen of the Faeries.' The man said still wearing his grin.

'Harry, we need to get you a new title. How about the Chosen One?' Dominique continued, eliciting a snigger from Apolline and giggles from Gabrielle and Fleur.

Harry scoffed.

'Way too pretentious.'

They began their long walk back to the castle, Harry and Fleur holding each other close.

'Slayer of Basilisks?' Harry suggested.

'Non, not catchy enough.' Fleur remarked.

'Hmm, well, we'll think of something as cool as Titania I'm sure.' He grinned only for Fleur to scoff.

'I doubt that 'Arry. My title makes me Royalty.' She smirked as her family chuckled at Harry's scowl.

* * *

That evening, Harry led Fleur toward the Room of Requirement.

''Arry. I thought we were about to 'ave dinner? Why are we going to train?' she asked with a frown while he continued, a knowing smirk on his face.

She huffed.

'Fleur, this is a surprise. I realised that I haven't given you any nice surprises for a while. So just let me do this okay?' he asked, holding her hand and she looked at him and rolled her eyes.

'Fine 'Arry, lead the way.' She sighed and Harry grinned.

A minute later, Harry held open the door to the Room of Requirement, a nervous grin on his face.

'Cover your eyes please.' He asked and she shook her head with a smile, covering her eyes with her hands.

Harry placed a hand on the small of her back and led her into the room, they moved with slow steps and he knew she wouldn't hold off for much longer. He led them into the room a few more steps before waving his hand behind him and the door to the room closed.

'You can open your eyes now.' He grinned and watched as her eyes widened as she took in her surroundings.

They stood in a restaurant. The fanciest restaurant Harry had ever seen, but Fleur's eyes darted around like all her dreams had come true.

''Arry.' She whispered, her hand taking his and squeezing.

''ow did you know of this place?' she asked, her eyes never stopping their exploration of the room.

'You like it?' Harry grinned, watching her excitement.

'It is amazing, exactly as I remember it.' She gushed.

'When I was Gabrielle's age, Maman and Papa took me to muggle Paris and showed me the city and its wonder. On our last night we came 'ere, the _Arpege_. The weekend was one of the most magical I have ever 'ad.'

Harry enjoyed watching her as she examined the restaurant, getting excited over the smallest of details.

'While the room cannot create food, I know someone who can. Dobby?' Harry called and the diminutive House Elf appeared with a crack, leading the two to a booth, a lone candle in the middle. Before disappearing with a crack.

Harry held her hand over the table and looked into her eyes that were locked on his own, a hunger in them that he was rather sure wasn't for food.

'I'm sorry I haven't taken you out for a date yet. I hadn't even thought about it until Gabrielle asked me about it today while you were talking to your mother. She was rather disappointed with me for not being terribly romantic in our relationship. So, I asked her for suggestions.' Harry explained and Fleur beamed at him.

'Between Gabrielle and your father, we organised this. I showed him the room and he made it into this configuration.'

'This is perfect 'Arry.' She breathed, her beaming smile lighting up the room.

A crack sounded and a door leading to the kitchen opened, revealing Dobby levitating silver plates behind him.

With a snap of his fingers the plates landed in front of them and Dobby disappeared.

Harry looked down at the bowl in front of him, it looked like a soup of some kind. Fleur however knew exactly what it was, judging by the almost squeal she let out at seeing her soup like entrée.


	41. Chapter 41 - Calm before the Storm

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 41: Calm before the Storm.**

The next morning, Harry and Fleur entered Dumbledore's office. The old man looked like he hadn't slept in days, his eyes were sunken and held none of their usual twinkle as he forced a small smile on his face.

'Good morning Harry, Miss Delacour. Lemon drop?' he offered.

'No, thank you sir.' Harry said while grinning at Fleur's sweet tooth as she reached over to pluck a lemon drop from the bowl with a wide smile and a nod of thanks.

After they settled, Harry and Fleur shared a look and Harry shook his head as she continued sucking on the lemon drop. With a smile, Harry turned back to Dumbledore.

'We have an experimental way to fight the Dementor Knights and so can attack Camelot when ready.'

Dumbledore sighed and sat back in his chair.

'Sir?' Harry asked, cocking his head.

'We have gotten reports from Newport, the city is filled with nightmares, of fire and blood. I lost two members of the Order before I received this information.' He paused, running a hand across his face in a show of stress that Harry hadn't seen before.

'More than that. The Aurors are leading an attack at dawn tomorrow morning. So, it is good timing that you now have a weapon against the Dementor Knights.'

Harry watched with narrowed eyes.

'There's more, what else is wrong?'

Dumbledore sighed.

'Grindelwald has taken much of Europe. Somehow, he has regained his old strength. He has obtained other ancient relics and used them to augment his power. He struck just after you defeated Morgana.' Dumbledore paused, blinking with tears forming in his eyes.

'Gel-Grindelwald has fortified his prison of Nurmengard and is using it to store his hoarded artefacts that I suspect are being used in some sort of ritual.'

The old headmaster removed his half-moon glasses and wiped his eyes with a finger. Harry was struck by the exhaustion showing in the older man.

'As troubling as Grindelwald's behaviour is, it seems he is content to wait. There are reports of his agents in Greece, though what he is looking for there, I do not know.'

Harry nodded.

'What forces does he have?'

Dumbledore sighed again.

'Vampires, Dark Wizards and Witches mostly. But according to reports he has a few clans of giants and other dark creatures as well.' Harry nodded, a frown on his face.

'Sir, how can we help?'

Dumbledore shook his head, taking another lemon drop in his mouth and offering the bowl to the teens, Harry shook his head while Fleur took another with a smile.

'There is something else bothering me my boy. The goblins.'

'What about them? They haven't sided officially with Mordred, have they?' Harry asked with a frown.

Dumbledore gave a so-so motion with his hand.

'The Goblins are remarkably clever creatures. Because of the oaths they made over a thousand years ago to Mordred, they are in league with him. However, as of last night, they have chosen only to assist him with a fraction their military might.'

Harry and Fleur shared a glance before turning back to the headmaster, wearing lost expressions.

'The Goblins, as you told me Harry, once swore an oath to Mordred to serve him until he ruled Britain. Now that he had returned, they are bound once more by that oath, even though the Goblins of today did not strike the bargain.' The old man clasped his hands in front of him, resting his chin on them.

'So, the Goblin Nation are honour bound to serve him. But to the best of my knowledge they have done nothing to any of the wealth of the wizarding world that they hoard. The Goblins are in the perfect position to cripple our world and yet, they have not done so.' Dumbledore took a deep breath and Harry saw the man's mind racing with ideas and plans.

'I believe it is because they choose to interpret their oath in such a way as to not see the British wizarding community as an enemy. I feel that they are unwilling to perform their ancient oath and are merely putting in a token effort to appease their returned oath-bound lord.'

Harry stared at the headmaster in shock. He had no idea how close the Wizarding World was to collapse.

'Harry, Miss Delacour. We are on a knife's edge. In the upcoming battle, we will face Goblins, I am sure of that. But I am also sure that if none of them are killed, if we can defeat Mordred, they will return to the Goblin Nation and assist us afterward out of respect.' Dumbledore paused, his blue eyes peering into Harry green.

'But Harry, if any of them are killed, I fear the Goblin Nation will be honour bound to treat us as enemies. They will strip the wealth from the Wizarding World and start the latest of a long line of Goblin Wars, a war we are woefully ill equipped to handle at this time.'

Harry sighed, feeling Fleur's hand squeeze his he gave her a smile before running his other hand through his hair.

'Bloody Goblins.' He growled before freezing and giving the headmaster an apologetic expression to which the old man smiled and gave a knowing look.

'Now, the two of you should get out in the sunshine for once, before it leaves us once more. Do not train too hard though, we will have a hard day tomorrow.'

With a nod to the headmaster Harry stood, holding out a hand for Fleur to take and together they left the headmaster.

After leaving the headmasters office, the two moved toward the Room of Requirement.

* * *

Stepping into the Room of Requirement behind Fleur, Harry saw that she was in the mood to train. She configured the Room to be what he recognised as the Coliseum in Rome that he had seen pictures of in Primary School.

'So, you've been to the Coliseum?' he asked, and he saw her wide smile as she gazed around the ancient building.

'Oui, I 'ave and I will take you there, after this is all over. When we can truly begin our lives together.' She remarked with a smile.

Harry grinned before jerking his head to the side, avoiding a bright yellow curse that he expected would have caused extreme flatulence if it were to connect.

He drew his Holly wand and fired off a spell chain designed to end a duel with a few spells. Needless to say, it didn't work as she batted away the spells and returned fire.

They fought back and forth for a few minutes, stray spells hitting the crumbling walls of the coliseum which eventually crumbled around them.

Limited to one wand, Harry found they were about even. They each called pillar of earth to block spells and conjured or transfigured animals out of rubble.

Magic hung thick in the air as the duel grew more serious, they threw no more schoolyard jinxes.

Now it was anything Madame Pomphrey could heal.

Each wore wide grins as they pushed themselves, Harry finding it easier and easier to keep up with a single wand. Until now he hadn't realised how much he relied on using both wands to overpower his foes and it occurred to him he had been lucky against Salazar.

Both Dumbledore and Fleur had distracted the founder. In a straight up fight with the man, Harry wouldn't have stood a chance. Against Morgana they'd only won because Fleur had taken Morgana's army from her and Harry had been reckless, not skilled.

With a renewed focus, Harry's spells became stronger and he fired them faster, pushing himself to his limit and then pushing further.

Fleur struggled to keep up and triggered her Alpha Veela transformation. Within moments brilliant wings sprung from her back and she leapt into the air, her silver eyes blazing as she fired overpowered stunners, bludgeoners and incarcerous chains.

Harry fought to keep the grin off his face as she flew through the air, using her manoeuvrability to keep him on the defensive. The grin faltered as his left hand instinctively went for his second wand. With a conscious effort he resisted the urge to use his second wand, instead deciding to try wandless magic in combat.

With a flick of his fingers he was hoping she didn't notice; he levitated a rock about the size of his fist behind her. He continued casting his own overpowered spells at her, but once the rock was high enough, he called the rock to him and with crushing force it slammed into her wing with a sickening crunch and she screamed in pain as she fell to the ground.

A moment later he was there beside her, using what little healing magic he knew on her wing. A few seconds later the wing was normal again.

'I'm so sorry Fleur, I-I-' he started but she put a finger to his lips.

She retracted her wings and her eyes and hair returned to normal.

'Non 'Arry, I 'adn't expected you to use wandless magic, it was my own fault.'

She reached out with a hand to pull him down to her and kissed him with a fierce passion in the middle of the crumbling coliseum.

'I am proud of what you 'ave achieved 'Arry. But it is probably best if we do not risk any more injury or use too much magic for the rest of the day.' She murmured, as his forehead lay against hers.

Harry grinned.

'I've heard of a room in the school that can take us anywhere we ask.' She smiled up at him.

'Do you 'ave anywhere in mind 'Arry?'

'I've been wondering what Lake Geneva is like in Autumn.' He whispered and she beamed up at him.

'Nothing like England.'

The room shimmered around them, leaving them in a white void for a few moments before Harry noticed they were standing on a pier twenty metres into the lake. He knelt with Fleur in his arms as he stared around him in shock.

The place was beautiful.

The surrounding farmland a brilliant gold in the fading afternoon light, the cool breeze felt wonderful on his face.

Harry grinned down at Fleur, still in his arms.

'I think I could get used to this.'

She beamed up at him.

'If I 'ave my way, you'll be able to.'

* * *

It was a few hours later that they were finished with the Room of Requirement and left it, but rather than head down to the Chamber once more, Harry led her toward the Hall of the Brave.

Once there, he opened the room and showed her inside.

Harry watched as she stared around the room in amazement.

'This is the Hall of the Brave. Godric's secret room.' He took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

'This is where I plan for us to stay, now that you've got your Alpha powers under control. Is that okay?' he asked, inwardly annoyed at the nervousness he heard in his voice.

'Oh 'Arry, this is perfect. The Chamber has been done up well, but it is still rather creepy. But this is wonderful and warm and perfect.' She pulled him into a hug, and he revelled in it before her lips met his and conscious thought left as they moved toward the bed.


	42. Chapter 42 - Newport

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 42: Newport.**

The next morning Harry woke with his arms wrapped around Fleur. One hand under her shirt, cupping one of her breasts while the other lay on her stomach. He glanced at the clock next to the bed and noticed he'd woken before their alarm again.

It was four twenty-nine.

With a wave of his fingers he flicked the switch to turn off the alarm.

He buried his face into Fleur's neck. He kissed her perfect skin with soft, feathery kisses, moving from her collarbone up to her ear before taking it in his mouth, sucking on it and holding it between his teeth and tugged on it.

She let out a soft moan and pushed her body back against his.

Using the hand that lay on her stomach, Harry drew a protective rune on her hip, his fingers trailing across her skin.

'Fleur.' He whispered, releasing her earlobe from between his teeth.

His hand squeezed her breast while his other hand trailed down her leg which was entwined with his own.

She shivered and twisted in his embrace, her brilliant sapphire eyes met his and he was sure for a moment that she _purred._

Fleur's lips kissed his chest, moving up to his collarbone, each kiss slow and soft. The warmth of her breath on his bare skin sent shivers through him before she moved on to the next spot she kissed. She moved to his neck, eliciting a small gasp at the feelings that spread through him from the point her lips touched.

Fleur moved up to his ear and caught it in her mouth, nibbling on it as he heard her breathing growing heavy. Her every kiss like a fire raging through him.

She left his ear and he turned to take her lips with his. His hands winding into her silver hair as their tongues fought for dominance in between their mouths.

He pulled back for breath, seeing her breathing in great gasps like his own, but what struck him was the hunger in her eyes and he was positive that same hunger was present in his own.

In his peripheral vision he noticed the clock beside the bed reading five.

He groaned.

Fleur turned to glare at the clock before growling.

Harry looked down at the barely covered Fleur as she pouted at the clock.

'What does pouting at the clock achieve?' she turned to him, continuing to pout, making him grin.

He leaned down for a kiss which she reached up to claim, her fingers trailing through his hair. She let him go and fell back to the bed with a sigh.

'We should get ready non?'

Harry nodded, sitting back from her with a sigh.

''Ow about we shower together. To save time of course.'

Harry looked down between his legs and back at Fleur's dishevelled appearance.

'Fleur, in no way could that be quicker. It's hard enough to think clearly right now without sharing a shower together.'

The idea of Fleur against the wall in the shower popped into his head and he grinned.

Fleur cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.

'Are you thinking dirty thoughts 'Arry?' he nodded, his grin growing wider.

She beamed at him, leaping forward to kiss him before jumping out of bed toward the shower, her hips swaying. Fleur turned back to him once passing the door to the bathroom and with a wink closed the door.

Harry lay back down on the bed and sighed, regretting the decision to not join her. He heard the water start in the shower and mental images of Fleur in the shower would not leave his mind.

Shaking his head in regret, he used his occlumency to clear his mind of everything.

A few minutes later the shower stopped running and Harry opened his eyes, his mind clear and focussed on the task they would begin within the hour.

Fleur left the bathroom wrapped in a towel and grinned as she saw Harry watching her.

Even with his cleared mind, he beamed at her, bouncing off the bed and kissing her hand. He'd learned early that she did not like to kiss him after her shower if he hadn't had one yet.

With an obvious up and down glance at her body he gave her a nod of approval and a wink, then ran to the bathroom as she tossed a pillow at him with a laugh.

After his shower he dressed in his dragonhide outfit from Godric's closet and once finished, the two left the Hall of the Brave to venture down to the great hall.

* * *

Only Dumbledore sat in the large room, waiting for them at the Gryffindor table. The headmaster was chewing on some toast as they arrived, an array of other breakfast foods sitting around their spot.

The headmaster did not say a word as the two joined him, instead he focussed on his toast as they helped themselves to some food. Harry did not feel hungry but knew from his many Quidditch games that he needed to eat.

A few minutes into their silent meal, Dumbledore stood, a strange pocket watch in his hands before letting out a sigh.

Harry and Fleur shared a glance and nodded, leaving their half-eaten breakfast at the table.

Fawkes flamed into the great hall, landing on Dumbledore's shoulder before disappearing in a flash of flames.

Harry saw a mischievous grin on Fleur's face and before he could say anything Fawkes reappeared in the great hall and Fleur wrapped her arms around him, crushing her lips to his. Harry felt Fawkes land on his head and in a swirl of flames the three disappeared from the Great Hall.

* * *

With a flash of flames, Harry appeared with Fleur in his arms.

Fawkes batted his head with his wing before the Phoenix flashed away with a trill.

'Oi, damn bird.' Harry grumbled, only for Fleur to chuckle into his chest and Harry saw an amused grin on Dumbledore's face as he stood nearby.

His amusement drained from him as he looked up, away from Fleur's silver hair buried against his chest. He felt Fleur turn her head to look around them and a shiver ran through her.

Around them, the muggle city of Newport was in flames.

It looked much like any other city, though without the tall skyscrapers he associated with muggle cities. The sun had not yet risen, but the city was lit with inky red flames. Everything looked like a hellscape. The more he stared, the more details he made out.

There were cars overturned and crumpled, with bodies lying on the street in the distance and he heard gunfire in the distance, along with sirens coming from fire trucks and police cars. Then an ambulance raced through abandoned streets in the distance and Harry's his heart constricted at the sight.

They stood in a field by a river. In the predawn light Harry could see smoke filling the sky as the city burned. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

'Harry, where is Camelot?' Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded, closing his eyes.

A moment later Harry felt Arthur in his mind, pointing him in a direction. It was a strange feeling, he struggled to put the feeling into words, but none came to describe how Arthur directed him to his destination.

Harry opened his eyes, nodding to Dumbledore before walking away from their starting position.

'Headmaster, I'll try to poke a hole in the wards.'

Dumbledore cocked his head.

'Harry, how much do you know about wards?'

Harry noticed Fleur's interest in his answer as well.

'Almost nothing. However, Arthur and Merlin created the wards, they will run me through it. If I need anything, I'll ask you two for help.' He assured with a smile and turned back to his internal conversation.

'_Young Harry, these wards are now extremely old, and Mordred hasn't changed them. Cocky bastard. Anyway, you will need to follow our instructions exactly to do this without the wards attacking you.' _It was Merlin and Harry imagined the old man's grouchy frown as he pondered how to get Harry through the wards.

Harry nodded and listened to the two in his head, running him through the wards.

With both wands drawn, Harry pushed and pulled at the wards, drawing runes in them that before that day he'd never heard of. He spent twenty minutes working on the wards that had stood for more than a thousand years, keeping away both wizards and muggles.

A series of pops sounded around them; Harry counted over two dozen new arrivals whom he figured were Aurors. A brief glance behind him showed about a dozen red robed British Aurors, while the remaining Aurors were from different ministries, the French wore blue robes while the Bulgarians wore a maroon. There were a few other colours, but he didn't recognise where they came from.

'_Harry, don't lose concentration.' _Merlin snapped and Harry refocussed, tuning out the new arrivals behind him and narrowly avoiding the wards lashing out at him.

He felt Fleur's presence beside him, a hand on his shoulder as he worked. She said nothing, but Harry knew that she was watching him work and would help him in an instant if she saw he needed it. A small smile crossed his face as he worked on the wards.

A few minutes passed before Harry let out a breath.

With a last push with his wands, an archway appeared in front of him, showing a castle, surrounded by a medieval town at its feet.

He lowered his wands with a sigh, returning them to their holsters as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The sun had risen by now but was covered by heavy clouds of smoke, showing the black smoke rising from the burning city behind them to the south. The archway he had made disrupted the empty field they stood in.

Harry moved to the side of the archway and gestured toward it.

'Welcome, to Camelot.' He said with a tired smile, waiting until the Aurors and Dumbledore had walked through the archway before leading Fleur through it.

Only after walking through the archway did he notice the almost hellscape they had entered. This was not the mythical Camelot he had expected and seen in his mindscape with his mental companions.

The entire area was scorched black, smoke rising from the whole area as it smouldered. The fields between them and the castle were filled with crucifixes, each with a person nailed to it. There were people hanging from nooses tied to tall poles and the remains of people sitting in cages hanging five metres above the ground.

Harry heard a scratching noise and turned as hundreds of massive, almost cat-sized rats ran past them, disappearing behind the rubble of a fallen building.

Another scratching noise drew his attention to a large pit thirty metres away from them, it was the size of a swimming pool. The pit seemed to writhe in the smoke choked light.

'What's going on here?' asked one of the red robed Aurors. He was a young man, probably a few years out of Hogwarts.

Harry felt his body grow taught, his instincts, tuned from countless training sessions with his spirit companions screaming at him that danger was close. He drew both wands, the rest of the Aurors followed suit, each holding their wand outstretched in a ready position.

The crack of gunfire echoed in the morning stillness and one of the Bulgarian Aurors dropped to the ground, a spray of crimson erupting from his chest.

A moment later, shields were brought up and the Aurors peered into the distance to see where the shot had come from.

An Auror ran to the fallen Bulgarian Auror and slid to a stop beside him, a white band of material on the arm of his robes, a medic, dropped beside the man who was shot and waved his wand in a complicated series of movements as he tried to help the Auror.

Gunfire erupted once more, followed by bullets springing off the wall of shields.

Harry narrowed his eyes at a two-storey stone house in the city about four hundred metres away and noticed a flash of light immediately followed by a bullet bouncing off the shield in front of him.

Pointing a wand at the stone house, Harry fired an overpowered explosion hex.

A few seconds later the house was reduced to dust. Pieces of stone flew everywhere, some pieces even hitting the shield protecting the Aurors.

Harry sighed, hoping he had only knocked out the sniper, but doubted it.

The pool sized pit thirty metres away continued to writhe until Harry noticed hands pulling themselves up out of it.

With a wave of revulsion, he realised what they were.

'Inferi to the left.' Harry called and a moment later the pit erupted into flames cast by Dumbledore.

A wave of green killing curses erupted out of the tree line to their right. He heard the sound of onrushing death and with a burst of his magic he tore the earth at their feet into position, creating a wall. The wall exploded with the impacts of the killing curses, but not a single one broke through to the now panicking Aurors who only now realised they were surrounded.

''Arry, we are surrounded.' Fleur murmured beside him and Harry scowled with a nod. He didn't want the Aurors panicking any more than they already were.

Harry felt before he saw, the presence of a Dementor Knight to their left. Its black armour glistening in the smoke clouded sunlight.

'_Expecto Telo.' _Both Harry and Fleur cried in unison and Harry's spectral lightning struck the Dementor Knight, dropping it to one knee until Fleur's spectral spear buried itself into its face.

The creature burst into a wisp of shadows and dissipated, leaving behind a heart-tearing screech along with its sword and shining black armour.

Harry let out a sigh of relief as the Dementor Knight's presence faded from his mind.

Harry turned to see the Aurors still holding their shields against the sniper bullets, though it was only one or two shooters left by the lack of shooting. Dumbledore was dealing with the Inferi to their left and Harry couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as Fleur levitated a stone into the forest to their right where the killing curses had come from and with a smirk, she flicked her wand and the stone exploded.

A wave of red energy erupted from the stone and the spell fire from the forest ended abruptly.

He recognised the trick she used as one that Merlin had taught them a few nights earlier. She imbued the stone with an overpowered omnidirectional stunning spell.

In essence, a stunner grenade.

Dumbledore turned and cocked his head at her and she grinned. Beside her, Harry smirked and motioned with his head toward the forest. The headmaster nodded and directed Moody and an Auror with pink hair toward the forest.

The two Aurors led a dozen more into the forest while Harry fired overpowered explosion hexes into the city in front of them where he thought the sniper fire could be coming from.

After destroying a dozen of the ancient buildings, Harry's guilt for destroying them rose enough that he stopped firing, waiting for the snipers to continue if there were any left.

They didn't begin again.

Harry wasn't sure if he had chased them off, killed them or they were just waiting until the Aurors dropped their shield to move into the city proper. From the corner of his eye he saw the Aurors leaving the forest with eight people levitating behind them, each floating person was bound and had a broken wand resting on their chest.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the bound wizards and witches, some of them appeared to be Death Eaters, while most looked like regular witches and wizards.

'Dumbledore, these pieces of filth are all pure-bloods. Montague, Parson, Davies, Smith. While the Death Eaters are Nott, Goyle and two others I don't recognise.' Moody growled. Dumbledore leaned over at the two unknown Death Eaters and let out a sigh.

'They are named Flint and Meraux.'

Moody nodded and directed the pink haired Auror move the captives beside the archway.

'We're going to leave them near the archway and take them all after we're done in Camelot, rather than waste time with multiple trips.'

Harry watched the scarred man limp around and bark orders at the Aurors. Even the Aurors who weren't British jumped to do whatever the man demanded. Harry shook his head and looked toward the Auror who had been shot. With wide eyes he saw the Auror stand, a hand gingerly touching the newly healed skin on their chest.

Fleur's hand wrapped around his, still holding his wand.

'I also did not think the man would 'ave survived. I am glad I was wrong.' Fleur whispered and Harry could only nod, marvelling at magic.

Dumbledore looked around the group and nodded. As one, the group of Aurors, with Harry and Fleur, followed in his wake.

As the group moved toward the city, Harry and Fleur kept their eyes on everything around them. The chances of another ambush were high, and they knew it.

The closer they got to the city, the more crucifix's and hanging cages they saw. Each dead body was an Inferi.

Every crucifix, hanging cage and noose held an Inferi and each was set aflame by the Aurors as they passed.

They were purifying Camelot by fire.

The Inferi struggled to escape their hanging cages, arms outstretched, reaching for the Aurors below. A moment later, the cage erupted into flames, releasing the Inferi from its undeath and melting the cage into slag that dripped to the scorched ground below.

Harry's heart broke at the number of needless deaths, what was once a city of freedom and honour was now just a city of death and despair. He could feel Arthur and Merlin in his mind struggling to contain their own despair at what had become of their home.

He was distracted by Fleur's hand on his shoulder, worry in her eyes.

'I'm sorry Fleur, I can feel Arthur and Merlin's emotions. This was their home.' He explained and she gave him an understanding nod before they both continued to watch for another ambush.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the group of Aurors, along with Dumbledore, Harry and Fleur moved down an alley in the city proper. They always moved toward the castle but were forced to by using different paths.

There was a large, open road that went straight through the city. But it was an obvious ambush point and so they had gone around it.

In the alley, any snipers still in the city would be stymied. Unable to get a clear shot unless they lay in wait on the ancient stone house that faced the alley in a direct line. As they walked through the empty back alleys of the city, it was clear that it was abandoned in times long past.

Only time had ravaged this city, no invading army.

A high-pitched whistling whine tore through the air and the Aurors stared at each other in concern. Shields came up around the group.

Explosions rocked around them.

A heavy _**boom, boom, boom**_.

The ground shuddered as the buildings all around them shook under the impact of something being fired at them. The explosions were constant, every few seconds another one occurred, the surrounding buildings crumbled.

'Move, get out of the alley, the buildings are collapsing.' Harry called, shocking the group into moving out of the enclosed space.

Harry remembered seeing a war movie on the television, through the grate on his cupboard that Vernon had watched. The sound was similar, and they called them _mortars._

Harry ushered the group out from the alley way and onto a road, wide enough for them to fit with comfort.

The explosions continued to rain down on them from all around and Fleur clutched his arm, her eyes wide with fear.

''Arry, it is the same as when Beauxbatons fell.' She gasped and Harry raised one wand, creating a large dome shield. It big enough to cover half the group while Dumbledore followed suit and covered the other half.

Harry returned one wand to its sheath and cupped Fleur's face with his free hand.

'Fleur, my love. You now have the power to make those people firing at us our friends, rather than our enemies.'

She blinked and her mouth quirked into a small grin and she nodded.

A frown of concentration crossed her face before she transformed, her brilliant white wings erupting from her back, silver eyes coming up to meet Harry's emerald gaze as her hair waved in the non-existent wind.

Harry glared at many of the Aurors held under his and Dumbledore's shields as they stared at her, glassy eyed. Two of them took a step toward her but paused under Harry's imperious glare.

She clasped her hands in front of her, looking for all the world like an angel praying as she closed her eyes, her face twisted into a frown of concentration.

After a minute, she opened her eyes with a smile. The rain of explosions stopped.

'Keep moving.' Moody growled and the group continued to walk toward the castle.

Harry and Fleur continued at the rear of the group.

'How many are there?' he asked, she sent him a tired grin.

'About fifty soldiers, they are now 'unting the dark wizards and the Inferi.' She sighed and Harry took her hand and kissed her cheek.

'How long can you hold them?'

'About twenty minutes if necessary.' She grinned before continuing.

'Muggles it seems are easier to dominate than wizards.'

Their conversation was interrupted by screams from the front of the group.

'Fleur, can you stay in the middle of the group? We need our new allies for the moment.' Harry asked and without awaiting an answer, rushed to the front of the group where two Aurors were overrun by rats, the same oversized rats as they saw after entering the wards.

The two Aurors were covered in the giant rats as they bit and tore at them, ripping through their robes to get to the flesh beneath. Harry saw a few Aurors trying to help the two being attacked, so he turned his gaze to where the vermin came from.

Rats were streaming out of a nearby sewer.

In a corner of his mind, Harry was impressed that such an ancient city even had sewers, but the rest of his mind was consumed with fire as he used both wands to pour great streams of flame into the sewer where the rats emerged from.

White flames poured from Fleur's hand as she stepped beside him.

Seconds later entrances to the sewers all around them burst out a mixture of white and red flames.

His gaze sweeping around them, he saw no more rats. But he noticed the two Aurors were being healed and Harry let out a sigh of relief. He had lost no one yet in this attack.

He felt eyes on him, and he turned to see a rat staring at him from across the road, it had gleaming red eyes and was half again the size of the other rats.

Harry watched the rat staring at him for a few moments before it darted away into the surrounding rubble.

''Arry? Was that rat really just staring at you then? How did it have red eyes?'

Harry shook his head, a sense of exhaustion growing inside him.

'I don't know, but I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this place.'

Moody stood above the two fallen Aurors, impatience clear in his posture as he stared at the crumbling city around them.

After a few minutes of wary silence, the fallen Aurors were standing, their wounds healed and their wands ready for action. Moody looked ready to move before a low groaning hum could be heard.

Harry turned toward the noise, it was coming from the main street that led toward the castle, they were only a couple hundred metres away.

Shaking his head, Harry followed the group as Dumbledore led them ever closer to the castle, still avoiding the main street and now monitoring the sewer gutters.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the groaning hum was loud, drowning out most other noise as the group flitted through the side alleys toward the entrance gates to the castle. There was a thick stone wall separating the city from the castle grounds and when they stood at the gate set in this wall Harry noticed a sickly yellow ward, just before Dumbledore ran into it.

'_Harry, stay away from that ward!'_ Arthur screamed in his mind and on instinct, Harry reached out a hand and summoned Dumbledore. Just as three-metre metal spikes erupted from the gates that would have skewered the headmaster if Harry had been a moment slower.

Dumbledore tumbled into the group of Aurors between Harry and himself, caught by their press of bodies.

'Sorry for the lack of warning sir.' Harry sighed as Dumbledore stood, brushing himself off.

'Not at all my boy. Thank you for the rescue. I've never seen a ward like that before.'

Harry scowled.

'Apparently it's one that Mordred had always been fond of.'

'How do we get through then?' Dumbledore asked, cocking his head toward Harry who ran a hand through his hair. The constant groaning hum was getting on his nerves, what was it from anyway?

'I say we just destroy the gates.' Harry suggested, looking to Dumbledore and Fleur who both shrugged before turning their wands on the gates.

'Explosion hexes on three?' Harry suggested, getting nods in return.

'One-'

The groaning hum was now all encompassing.

'Two-'

Harry had to shout over the hum.

'Three.'

Three overpowered explosion hexes shattered the gates in front of them, creating a hole large enough for the group to fit through.

Harry turned to the source of the groaning hum and noticed that they were now standing on the main road through the city and he could see outside of the city from their position.

Between them and the outside of the city were countless Inferi.

The road passed through a large market square filled with rotted wood and fabric that would have once been carts and stalls for the market. But now the market square and every inch of the road between them and freedom was filled with Inferi.

Memories of the third task and the Inferi that attacked him entered his mind and he clenched his jaw.

A whistling whine tore through the groaning hum of the Inferi and a mortar shell landed in the centre of the market square, sending pieces of Inferi all over the area, leaving a crater in the cobblestone road. The first mortar round signalled the rest and then a constant barrage of explosions rocked the central road of Camelot as the Inferi were torn apart by shrapnel and flame.

The tinny _crack-crack-crack_ of automatic gunfire sounded in concert with the heavy booms of the mortar fire. But still, the Inferi came toward them, eager to sate their hunger for flesh.

Harry heard shouts of surprise from the Aurors as the giant rats returned. Streaming from all around the stranded Aurors. Rats tore through the hole in the gate, as well as from the streets that lay on both sides of them.

The group was surrounded. Giant rats on three sides and a countless horde of Inferi on the other. They were trapped.

Dumbledore created a ring of flames around them. The rats burst into flames as they passed, but that didn't stop the vermin from attacking. Soon, the Aurors were being attacked by swarms of flaming rats that tore at them until their bodies failed them.

It struck Harry then, the rats were being controlled by an outside force, no rats would throw themselves headlong at something, knowing it would die. The vermin's survival instincts were second to none. Which meant it had to be controlled somehow.

Then he remembered the larger red eyed rat.

He looked up and saw one standing on top of the gate, like a commander. Out of sight, unless one knew where to look or was lucky.

He flicked an explosion hex at the red eyed rat, and it exploded in a red mist.

The swarm of rats coming from the gate hesitated for a moment before scattering, running in every direction, away from the humans in front of them.

After a few moments of panic, the rats from the gate stopped once more before turning back to the group of Aurors and attacking again.

Harry narrowed his eyes, there were more of the red eyed rats around.

He flicked a hand toward one oncoming flaming rat and it flew away through the wall of fire into a nearby building with a wet splat.

The Aurors were holding back the swarm of rats from all around them, the swarm was like water. It kept weaving around the spells the Aurors used, uncaring of the number of rats that died. The swarm kept creeping ever closer, darting forward on one front while the Aurors focussed fire on another.

Harry growled, knowing it was a matter of time before either the rats or the Inferi got to them. He chanced a glance toward the Inferi and found they were only about twenty metres away, the ones in the front being taken down by accurate sniper fire from the dominated muggles.

The ring of fire surrounding the group flickered and Harry noticed Dumbledore's look of concentration as he poured more magic into the failing fire ring.

Harry snarled as their options disappeared.

The pink haired Auror shrieked as a flaming rat climbed up her leg before she batted it away. It landed on the ground and she sent a bludgeoning curse at it, crushing it into the ground and leaving a red stain where it lay. Her hair cycled between bright and dark, almost black, red.

Harry cocked his head before shaking it.

'I'm sorry Fleur.' He said as he ran toward the gate, diving through the hole in it, ignoring Fleur's terrified scream.

Once through the gate, he ran as fast as he could. One wand spewing flames to keep the rats away from himself, there were so many.

His other wand picked off any rats that climbed onto him.

All the while, his eyes darted around, trying to find the beady red eyes that signalled the leaders.

He saw one cowering behind the gate, a moment later it exploded with a wet splat at a flick of Harry's wand.

The rats on his side of the gate scattered, no longer under control, but the rats outside the gate kept on their assault.

Harry ran up the gatehouse to where he killed the first red eyed rat and while standing above the gate, he saw two more of the leader rats, one on each side of the street from the group.

Both red eyed rats exploded into a red mist a moment later with a flick of Harry's wands.

All the rats scattered, fleeing from the humans and the Inferi that were only metres away.

'Come through the gate, now!' Harry called, barely audible over the groaning hum from the thousands of Inferi.

He ran down the stairs to find all the Aurors and Fleur climbing through the gate while Dumbledore put up a barrier behind the ruined gate, transfiguring the rubble into a solid stone wall.

Fleur ran to Harry, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and releasing a sob into his chest.

''Arry, you idiot.' She hissed, overwhelmed by emotions as she clung to him.

'I know, I'm sorry Fleur. I couldn't see any other option.' He whispered in her ear and held her tight.

He saw Moody and the rest of the Aurors laying six of their number on the ground, conjuring sheets to put over them.

'We lost six people?' he whispered, and Fleur pulled back, kissing his cheek before nodding.

'Oui, the rats got to them in the last few moments before you made them scatter. If you 'ad been any longer, we all would be like them.' She murmured, her face pale. Harry squeezed her waist close to him, kissing her forehead.

Mordred's ward on the remains of the gate behind them triggered and everyone heard as the front three metres of Inferi were skewered by the metal spikes before they retracted into the wall, before triggering again.

Still, Dumbledore's stone wall shook with the rhythmic thumping of flesh on stone as the Inferi beat at it.

'We'll retrieve their bodies when we are done.' Moody growled, meeting Harry's gaze.

'You did good kid. You ensured that the rest of us didn't join them.' He motioned his head toward the fallen Aurors.

Harry nodded, Fleur in his arms before he turned to the castle. They stood in the courtyard, which contained hundreds of caged and crucified Inferi. Every Inferi thrashed in their cages or against their bonds on the crucifix as they turned hungry eyes at the Aurors.

Moody glared at the Inferi.

'Aurors, cleanse this courtyard before we enter the castle. I want this place secured.'


	43. Chapter 43 - Camelot

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 43: Camelot.**

After securing the courtyard of the Castle, Dumbledore led the group in through the ancient reinforced oak doors. As the doors groaned open, the Headmaster silenced them before waving his wand and opening them.

The group moved inside the castle, wands out and expecting another ambush. Harry stood beside Fleur, their wands out and their eyes searching everywhere. Fleur had returned to her normal form, not needing to keep the muggles under her control any longer. It was likely they would continue fighting the Inferi that surrounded them anyway.

The castle's entrance hall stood abandoned.

It was at least twenty metres wide and a hundred long. A single door stood in the far left and right corners of the room while an open archway stood in the wall opposite the group leading into another room.

On either side of the room, a line of ten stone pillars held up the ceiling, one every ten metres. Attached to each stone pillar was an iron ring, just over two metres high and attached to each ring was an Inferi, their bindings running through the ring.

The twenty Inferi struggled against their bonds, their blank eyes fixed on the living. Behind the stone pillars was shrouded in shadows and Harry saw a flicker of movement.

But when he turned to face the movement, there was nothing but shadow.

He could hear only the struggling Inferi. He glanced at them and felt anger at Mordred; the Inferi were all muggles, judging by their jeans and t-shirts with _Nirvana _or _Metallica, _written across them.

Harry and Fleur kept in their rear position while Dumbledore led the group, the Aurors in the middle. Fifty metres into the room, the group stopped.

The Headmaster knelt down and waved his wand at something on the ground before a ripple of whispers raced back to Harry through the Aurors.

'Dumbledore found a runic trap.' A bearded Auror whispered to Harry.

Harry glanced at the floor around them and glared. He didn't know enough about them to be useful, not without letting Merlin take over his body.

He felt Fleur's soft hand on his arm. Harry looked up to meet her eyes.

'I am very good with runes 'Arry. I will protect you.' Fleur said with a grin and Harry scowled at her, though he gave her a grateful smile.

It took another ten minutes to work through the many runic traps set in the entrance hall, the group stopping while Dumbledore dealt with the offending trap. The group made it through into the next room to see it was a throne room.

'I guess it must have been practical to build throne rooms near the entrance of these castles, Slytherin's castle was the same. I suppose you could also say Hogwarts is the same too, in its own way, Dumbledore has a throne in there.' Harry mused while Fleur narrowed her eyes before giving a disgusted sniff.

'You can't 'ave the peasants traipsing throughout your fancy castle 'Arry. This way they come in, complain about their lot in life and leave, all without leaving the filth of their existence inside the castle proper.' Fleur growled and Harry stared at her in surprise. Her eyes were hard as they glared around the room.

She turned to him after taking a breath.

'Sorry 'Arry. I learned in my childhood that the aristocracy often thought in that manner. The French removed those people from our government during the Revolution.'

'_She is right though young Harry. Many rulers have thought like that throughout history, my father had Camelot built and he was exactly like that.'_ Arthur added and Harry sighed.

'Arthur agrees with you Fleur.' He sighed and her hard expression softened as she looked at him.

'I'm sorry if that came from nowhere 'Arry.' She said, putting a hand on his arm and he shook his head.

'No, I just haven't seen you so passionate about a topic, well outside of family and, well us.' He grinned and she smiled.

'Passion, is something that Veela have an abundance of my 'Arry.' She winked before turning back to examine the room as the rest of the group moved further into the room.

Harry saw two large carved wooden thrones in the middle of the room.

In the time since Camelot was abandoned, the lacquered wood decayed and was now covered with grime. Mould covered most surfaces around the room. Where once great tapestries of glorious victories hung, now only bare stone wall was on display.

Harry had seen this room in the memories of Arthur. The difference between Arthur's memory and what it was now was as like night and day.

'_This is what my legacy is. Ruin and Decay. I fought my entire life to safeguard my kingdom, and only this rotting building remains.'_ Arthur groaned.

Harry clenched his jaw. Knowing there was nothing he could say to Arthur that would help.

'_I'm sorry Arthur._' Was all Harry thought in response to the grieving man.

Sudden sounds broke Harry out of his thoughts as doors opened on either side of the throne room. One on the left and the other on the right.

Eight Dementor Knights rushed into the room, four from each door, their black swords and armour gleaming.

The despair a Dementor brings with it entered with the Knights, but it was amplified by whatever Mordred had done to them. One of the Aurors dropped to their knees, screaming as they clutched their head in their hands, giving in to the despair.

Harry heard a groan coming from behind them and realised too late what the movements had been in the shadows in the entrance hall.

A trap.

He turned to see dozens of Inferi shambling out of the shadows, their presence hidden until now by the chained Inferi.

With a groan Harry turned back to the Dementor Knights, his face set into a frown.

'_Expecto Telo.'_ Cried three voices.

Two Dementor Knights fell, fading into wisps of shadow leaving only their swords and armour behind. One felled by Harry's spectral lightning while the other was hit with both Fleur's spectral spear and Dumbledore's spectral quill.

Harry stared at the Headmaster for a moment, who gave a wan shrug.

'Aurors, deal with the Inferi.' Harry called and was surprised when they jumped to obey, the pink haired one levitating the poor Auror that still held his head in his hands out of the way.

Drawing his second wand Harry fired off two more spectral lightning bolts, eliminating another two Dementor Knights before the creatures rushed forward toward the defenceless Aurors.

Harry felt the despair the Knights emanated but quashed it. He returned his wands to their holsters and drew the Sword of Godric Gryffindor.

A moment before a glistening black sword of one of the Knights would strike the pink haired Auror Harry intercepted it, Godric's sword stopping the black sword before it fell.

Harry followed up with a spin to regain his footing, slicing the Knight across its middle in the process. Godric's sword cleaved through the Knights armour as if it weren't there and the creature released a soul tearing screech as it faded away into wisps of shadow.

Harry noticed that Fleur and Dumbledore were fending off two of the cloaked figures while Harry had only one remaining. With a quick parry, he deflected the Dementor Knights strike before following it with a strike of his own to its unguarded chest, cutting into where its heart would be if it were human. With the painfully familiar screech the creature faded away, leaving Harry to release the sword which faded away like sand in the wind.

He turned back to Dumbledore and Fleur who had finished off their Knights before turning to look at the Aurors who each held flaming wands, keeping the Inferi at bay.

And on fire.

When one Auror tired, unable to continue their flame spells, they stepped back, replaced a moment later by another who took their place.

From the corner of his eye he saw Fleur holding her head with one hand and moved to her, giving Dumbledore a nod as he arrived. The Headmaster returned the nod before moving to assist the Aurors.

Harry gathered Fleur in his arms, and she melted into his embrace.

'Are you okay?' he asked into her ear.

She nodded into his chest.

'I saw Beauxbatons, I saw it fall. All my doubts and fears came to me at once. I 'ave dealt with Dementors before, but these, were different.' She murmured; Harry barely heard her over the sound of the Aurors fighting the Inferi.

'I know, I'm sorry you had to experience those again.' His arms tightened around her and she burrowed into his chest for a few moments.

The sound of fire faded, and Harry turned to see the Aurors all breathing hard in exhaustion. Moody and Dumbledore checking them to ensure they were okay. On the other side of the archway lay a pile of charred corpses, once Inferi, once innocent muggles.

Fleur pulled out of his embrace, meeting his gaze.

'There are more knights 'ere, somewhere.' He nodded.

'Yeah, I can feel them. I think they are waiting for us in another part of the castle.' He mused as she leant in to kiss his cheek.

'Then we will find them.'

Moody and Dumbledore joined them a few moments later, followed by the Aurors who stared at the gleaming black armour and swords laying on the floor. Moody stared at Harry; his fake eye locked on Harry's emerald gaze.

'Potter, those weren't normal Dementors. Explain.' The scarred Aurors growled and Harry held up his arms in surrender.

'Mordred has modified normal Dementors, he has made them his Black Knights. The Black Knights he had in life apparently became the first Dementors. He has just continued to work on them since coming back to life.' Harry explained and Moody continued his hard stare for an uncomfortable period of time before nodding.

'_Avada Kedavra._'

Harry heard the sound of onrushing death. Without even seeing where the spell came from, he knew it was meant for him. With a flick of his hand, he wandlessly tossed one of the black swords of the Dementor Knights in front of the bolt of green death.

The sword exploded when struck by the killing curse, a bow wave of power being released that knocked down everyone in the room and sent cracks through every stone.

Both thrones crashed to the floor a few metres away from where they had stood, large chunks of decayed wood skittered across the floor of the throne room.

Harry caught Fleur, wrapping her in his arms as they fell and rolled across the room. They crashed into the stone wall with a thud and Harry shook himself, dazed by the explosion and the sudden stop.

A dozen Aurors rushed into the room in the red British Auror robes. The man in front of the group brandished his wand at the almost two dozen Aurors that lay on the ground, dazed.

'The true magical King of Britain has returned, if you bow, he may allow you to live.' He snarled.

Harry stood, giving Fleur a nod as she rolled to face the newcomers.

Staring at the lead man, Harry was unsurprised to not recognise him. He was just another failed Auror, seduced by the dark side of his mind into thinking doing evil acts would get him ahead in life. He was no better than a Death Eater.

The man glared at Harry, before his gaze moved over the others in the room, ending with a lecherous smirk at the pink haired Auror.

'Surrender and pledge your fealty to your king.'

Careful to not make any sudden movements, he drew both wands and felt their warmth soothe him, bringing a smile to his lips.

'I will find Mordred; he will pay for all he has done to these people. I will find him and send him back to the underworld where he belongs.' Harry snarled.

The traitorous head Auror shrugged and fired another killing curse at Harry.

Harry grinned before flicking one of his wands, sending another black sword in the path of the killing curse. He dropped to one knee in front of Fleur and created a full spherical shield over them both.

The bow wave exploded out from the sword once more, knocking everyone to the floor again, or with the already dazed Aurors, pushed them up against the stone walls of the throne room. The bow wave splashed harmlessly over Harry's shield, leaving him free to stand and fire a dozen stunners around the room, capturing the traitorous Aurors.

With another wave of his wand he summoned the wands of the traitor Aurors. The wands flew through the air only to hit the wall and fall on the floor as Harry moved out of the way.

He knelt beside Fleur, brushing hair from her face.

'I'm sorry, I don't have any chocolate to take the edge off.' He whispered as he stroked her hair.

'Vest.' She choked and his eyes widened.

He opened a dozen pockets on her vest before he found a mars bar. He grinned and unwrapped it, breaking it into bite-sized bits for her, before putting some in her mouth.

'Where did you get this?' he asked with a raised eyebrow.

'-asked Dobby to get the best chocolate.' She murmured and Harry grinned, before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Harry checked the same pocket on his vest and found a mars bar in there also. He took it out and tossed it to Dumbledore, before sitting beside Fleur and pulling her head onto his lap.

* * *

After a few minutes Fleur felt well enough to stand, and after a swaying start the group was ready to continue.

Harry looked around the room once more and saw only two ways forward.

Left or right.

'Well Harry, do you have any insights about the best way to go?' Dumbledore asked, having made his way in silence to stand beside him and Fleur.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to create a picture of the castle in his mind.

'_Do we know where Mordred will be?'_ he asked in his mind.

'_I don't know young Harry. I assumed he would be in here.'_ Arthur said, his voice concerned.

Harry looked back at Dumbledore.

'No, we don't know where he could be. I think we'll have to split up and just try not to take Mordred on without the three of us there.' Harry suggested.

The old Headmaster closed his eyes and sighed.

'You know I do really dislike having to continually put you in harm's way, don't you?'

Harry grinned before it turned into a grimace.

'I know, but what other option do we have?' to which Dumbledore sighed and nodded.

The old Headmaster met Moody's eyes with a grim expression before turning back to Harry.

'I will take Moody and half the Aurors. You take the rest. Good luck my boy.'

Dumbledore and Moody wasted no time in leaving the throne room through the left door and Harry sighed before turning to face the Aurors that remained.

Fleur gave him a wink and he scowled for a moment before returning his attention to the Aurors.

The pink haired Auror smiled at him.

'I'm Tonks, this is my third time fighting these new enemies of yours.' Harry nodded.

'Yes, I think I've seen that hair of yours before.' He said with a small smile before sighing.

He looked at Tonks and the ten other Aurors, each sporting wounds and torn robes, each skilled in ways he didn't understand. Harry sighed.

'I ask that you follow me from here on out. I know that you have all done training and have skills I can't even imagine-' Tonks scoffed with a grin.

'- but in this situation, I need your back up. I plan on killing Mordred, sending him back to the underworld is my top priority.' He finished, his gaze sweeping across the Aurors, waiting for them to argue.

Tonks chuckled.

'Even if we didn't respect you for what you've achieved, both Dumbledore and Moody do. Which means we will follow you.' She said before a wide grin crossed her face.

'Besides, we all saw you deal with the super Dementors.'

Harry ran a hand through his hair, meeting Fleur's gaze before sighing again. Then the lessons Arthur gave him about tactics entered his mind and he forgot about his nerves.

He closed his eyes for a moment and cleared his mind.

When he opened his eyes once more, he was focussed on his goal.

Harry let out a breath and drew both wands, striding toward the door to the right of the room.

'Okay, watch every corner and the rear. I will take the front and if necessary, the brunt of the attacks. Fleur, you're with me. I need you to clear any traps we find.'

The Aurors nodded and fell into formation behind him while Fleur moved beside him, giving him a wink.

Harry led the group through the door once Fleur gave it the all clear and moved into a narrow hallway. The hallway was claustrophobic, it was tight and only just tall enough for him to stand up straight, he figured a few of the Aurors would have to stoop low.

Harry assumed it was a servant's hallway, Arthur was silent, lost in his grief.

He clamped down on the feeling of claustrophobia with his Occlumency, keeping his mind clear and his body as tight a spring, ready to burst into action.

The hallway took a sharp turn before stopping at an iron door, Fleur waved her wand at it and hissed.

'A nasty withering curse. You'd look like a mummy in minutes.'

Harry sighed and opened the door after she removed the curse.

Behind the door was a room about the size of the transfiguration classroom with a single long table in its centre. Upon the table sat tarnished metal plates and cutlery. Ancient looking iron goblets with black stains at the base of the cup sat on the table, spiderwebs filling much of the room.

Emerald eyes darted around the room, looking for threats for a few moments before he let his body relax enough to inspect the ancient cutlery.

'It's a dining hall. But not for anyone important, soldiers maybe?' he asked Fleur who shrugged, picking up a goblet, a small melancholy look on her face.

'Camelot looks to have been abandoned in such a hurry that the goblets of wine hadn't even been finished before everyone left.' She said, showing Harry the black stain in the goblet's base before putting it back on the table.

Tonks moved closer to them, peering at a tarnished fork.

'What is strange though, is that there are no signs of a struggle here, well apart from the last few weeks of course.' The young Auror added with a dark scowl.

'Oui, that is an accurate assessment Auror Tonks. I wonder 'ow Mordred got into this place, those wards 'Arry broke through were far beyond what I understand.'

Harry nodded.

'I don't know. But the only way we'll find out is by finding the man. Let's go.'

Harry turned toward the only other door in the room, waiting for Fleur to give him the okay to touch it. He opened the door and moved into another hallway. After ten metres the hallway took a sharp right turn and opened to a four-way intersection.

Harry narrowed his eyes, looking down each hallway.

'_Young Harry, go right.'_ Arthur instructed; his voice hoarse. Harry nodded and moved down that hallway.

It led them through a long winding hallway, through a handful of other intersections, leading deeper into the castle with every step. The Aurors checked dozens of empty storerooms as they moved.

Harry stopped beside a staircase that led down.

'Harry, they cleaned this place out before they abandoned it. What happened here?' Tonks asked before she stopped, looking at the stairs leading down.

'Are we taking these?'

Harry narrowed his eyes.

'_Do it.'_ Arthur commanded and Harry nodded.

With a flick of his wand, his eagle Patronus sped out of his wand toward Dumbledore.

'Just keeping the old man updated with what's going on.' He said to the confused expressions of Fleur and Tonks.

'Okay, we're going down.' He murmured, more to himself than anyone else and the group moved with caution as they descended.

'Okay, here's what I have gathered from my research.' Harry started, and with a start, realised all the Aurors were watching him with rapt attention.

'After King Arthur died at the Battle of Camlann, Merlin evicted the occupants of Camelot and put up the wards that protected it until now. This was to hide it from Mordred or any other power-hungry individuals who wouldn't uphold the ideals that Camelot stood for.' He paused, motioning with his head for the group to follow him down the stairs.

'But why would all those people living here abandon their home?' Tonks asked and Harry gave her a bitter smile as Merlin murmured in his mind.

'They weren't given a choice. Arthur instructed Merlin to ensure that Camelot was never used for nefarious purposes. So relocating its occupants and hiding it from existence must have been easier than creating defensive wards that would eventually be overwhelmed.' Harry explained, a far away look in his eyes as he listened to Merlin telling the story first hand.

'How do you know any of this?' Tonks asked and the Aurors around her nodded amongst themselves.

Harry met Fleur's gaze and she shook her head, the movement was minute but clear.

'I've been studying these spirits in detail with Dumbledore since this whole thing started after the Triwizard Tournament.' Harry lied and felt dirty as Tonks narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before nodding and a wide smile came over her face.

'I look forward to hearing the whole story in a less creepy and dangerous location.' She grinned before motioning for the other Aurors to keep moving as she took up the rear of the group.

* * *

The stairs went down about twenty metres before they started to curve around on themselves. After that, they became a spiral staircase made of stone that caused Harry some concern. He didn't trust the ancient stonework and wished that he brought his broom, just in case.

The spiral stairs moved down a straight cylindrical opening, almost like a tower that was built underground. It was about twenty metres across and lit only by the Lumos charms on the Aurors wands.

He heard whispered conversations of the Aurors behind him, there was no other sound apart from their breathing and footfalls. While he couldn't make out the Aurors words, he could hear them whispering, and heard Tonks' whispered admonitions.

Harry smiled, continuing down the stairs for half an hour before the stairs evened out, revealing a massive carved cave, empty save for a wall on the far side that depicted a battle of some sort. The cave was large enough to fit a few houses without issue, the far wall stood from floor to ceiling and was about thirty metres high and twice that wide.

Harry strode to the wall, one wand illuminating it.

The battle showed a great clash of armies, muggle soldiers fighting alongside wizards and witches on both sides. He noticed some armoured Goblins and other creatures he recognised like vampires and werewolves, but they were not prominently displayed, only a handful of figures in a mural of hundreds.

Between the two warring sides stood a large man-shaped figure, cloaked entirely in black. Its face was featureless as though the creator of the scene had made it without knowing any details about the figure, not even the gender.

At a wave of Fleur's wand, the wall glowed blue for a moment before it shuddered and sunk into the floor. Leaving a stunned group staring at the room opening before their eyes.

The room was massive, far larger than the great hall of Hogwarts. It was more a cave than a room, its walls roughhewn from dark stone. Along the walls hung torches, giving the room a warm orange glow, though the spaces in between the torches were still hidden in shadow, the torches did not give off enough light for the entire room.

They did however illuminate enough to show an object that Harry was familiar with. The object sat on a dais in the centre of the room and it brought back memories of Harry's first year.

The Mirror of Erised.

Harry moved toward it, confusion warring with wonder as he examined it. How did it get here? Where did Dumbledore put it after the events of his first year? How did Mordred get a hold of it? Why did Mordred put it here in this massive chamber under Camelot?

''Arry, slow down.' He ignored her, his curiosity about the Mirror pulled at him.

Harry stopped in front of it, Fleur standing beside him as she checked for traps around them.

'Erised stra ehru oy tube cafru oyt on wohsi.' Harry read out, his finger trailing across the letters inscribed above the mirror.

'I wonder what I would see now.' Harry murmured, drawing a worried expression from Fleur.

The Aurors stood behind them in a circle, whispering among themselves.

''Arry, what is it?' Fleur's eyes were wide as they examined the mirror.

'The Mirror or Erised.' He breathed, her strangled gasp beside him showed she recognised the name.

Harry pulled his eyes away from the beautiful carved mirror, not having looked into the Mirror itself, both wanting to and afraid to.

'This is truly the Mirror of Erised?' Fleur whispered and Harry nodded.

'Come, stand by me and look into it with me. If you want.' Harry asked and Fleur looked at the mirror, a small frown on her face.

'But it only shows us. Are you sure it is the true Mirror of Desire?' she asked, her eyes narrowing.

''ow do you know it anyway?' her narrowed eyes focussed on him and Harry grinned.

'Remember what I told you happened in my first year? The Mirror showed me my family, I sat in front of that, this Mirror for nights. Trust me, I recognise it.'

Fleur's eyes shone with unshed tears and she rubbed a hand on his shoulder.

'Look closer at the Mirror, Fleur.' He whispered in her ear and she did.

Her eyes widened in shock before she turned to look at him, her eyes demanding an explanation.

He smiled at her, even he knew it was a melancholy smile.

'The Mirror shows you what you desire most in the world.'

She stared at him, her eyes wide and he gave a soft chuckle at her.

'Don't worry, I can't see what you do, the mirror shows whoever is looking at it their hearts desire.' He gave a pained smile before squeezing her hand with his.

'I won't ask what you see, I don't want to intrude on your privacy.'

He turned away from her to look into the mirror.

Harry was unsurprised to see himself, standing next to Fleur, his parents beside him. They had more detail than the last time he saw them in the mirror. Likely because of the photo albums Hagrid had given him, and those Sirius and Remus had shared.

Fleur's family also stood alongside them, Apolline and Dominique with a hand on Fleur's shoulders. Gabrielle stood on Fleur's other side. But there was another Gabrielle, though smaller.

Harry blinked.

He looked closer and watched the little girl who was clearly not Gabrielle. She was silver haired and small, running in front of the group before she ran at Fleur before being scooped into an embrace. The little girl turned to look at Harry and he saw her green eyes.

Harry closed his eyes and turned away from the mirror.

When he opened his eyes again, fear rushed through him.

'Drop to the ground.' He shouted, wandlessly amplifying his voice in his panic.

Most of the Aurors followed his command, as did Fleur.

But four of the Aurors were too lost in the Mirror to hear him.

Harry stared in horror as long spears held by Goblins skewered the four transfixed Aurors. The spearheads were the same black metal that glowed bright red as it drew in the life force of the skewered Aurors.

Dozens of angry goblins surrounded them in intricate steel armour, each holding long spears and swords on their sides with a shield on their back.

Harry felt rage fill him, overwhelm his Occlumency barriers and escape his body. Both wands leapt into his hands and he raised one to create a wide spherical glowing white shield around the group. He poured his rage and fear into the barrier, making it grow.

The shield grew outward, knocking the Goblins unconscious as it touched them. Harry heard the Mirror of Erised shatter as the shield crashed into it before it spread out further into the room.

Moments later the shield hit the walls of the room, leaving a trail of unconscious armoured Goblins laying on the floor behind it.

One of the Aurors wasted no time in binding all the Goblins in case they woke, separating them from their deadly spears and other weapons while they did so.

'Whoa, Harry. What the hell was that?' Tonks asked, staring wide eyed at Harry. He grinned.

'An old friend taught it to me.'

Fleur leant in close to his ear.

'I'm surprised you remembered not to kill them.' Harry scowled before turning to Tonks.

'Will the fallen Aurors recover?'

Tonks turned and moved beside one of the fallen Aurors, the others were trying to stabilise the four fallen Aurors. The medic Auror working on them looked up and met Tonks' gaze and gave a slight shake of the head.

She turned back to Harry and gave a slight shake of her head.

Harry's gaze dropped to the floor.

'I'm sorry. It was my inattention that caused them to lose their lives.'

Tonks shook her head.

'No Harry, you saved us. If you hadn't had pulled yourself away from the Mirror in time, they have killed us all. You saved us.'

Harry scowled.

'I've come across the mirror before, I should have known it was a trap.' Fleur placed a hand on his shoulder.

''Ow could anyone 'ave known it was a trap?'

Harry sighed, looking around at their group.

They had seven Aurors left, including Tonks.

The Aurors nodded to him, one of them looking only a year or two older than Fleur. The young man gave Harry a nod and a slight smile.

'Even with all of us being trained Aurors, only you pulled yourself out of the Mirror's grip in time. We all owe you our lives.' He said while the others nodded.

Harry sighed, letting out a heavy breath before nodding and steeling himself.

'Thank you, I won't let anything like that happen again, I promise.'

He turned and moved toward the far side of the room. It was a mural much like the one that led into the room they had already passed.

This mural showed two mighty dragons fighting in the centre, with the same shadowy indistinct figure between them from the previous mural.

Fleur waved her wand at it like the last time, only for nothing to happen.

She wore a confused expression as she cocked her head to the side before examining the mural with a closer eye.

'Tonks stay with her, could you?' he asked and the pink haired Auror agreed with a small smile.

Harry turned and moved back toward the ruined Mirror of Erised, he passed through the group of primarily male Aurors and despite the situation felt his anger rise as they stared at Fleur with glazed expressions.

Gritting his teeth, Harry moved past the Aurors and knelt beside the broken mirror. He examined the shards of glass; in each piece he saw a piece of his heart's desire.

One shard showed his parents, the image trapped in place, unmoving. Another shard showed Fleur.

His hand reached out to pick up a sliver of glass that showed the small silver haired, green-eyed girl. He held it close and saw that while she inherited the silver hair of Fleur and her delicate features, she also had the refined, high cheekbones that he saw in the mirror every morning after his shower.

She was his daughter, his and Fleur's daughter.

''Arry.' Fleur called and he shot up, tucking the shard of glass into one of the pockets of his vest.

He ran to her side, ignoring the glazed eyes of the Aurors as he passed them.

She had opened the way forward; the mural had sunk into the ground like the previous one had.

He flicked both wands into his hands as he reached Fleur.

'Good work, I knew you could do it.' He grinned and she blushed before turning to the path ahead, Tonks wore a smirk as she watched the two.

Harry led the way into the passage, his body ready to react at a moment's notice and his magic itching to be released.

The passage was more cave and less man-made passage. It led down another hundred metres before it opened up into another cave, this one contained a large underground lake.

The lake was easily the size of the Quidditch pitch, and it held an island in the middle of it. Harry couldn't make out the ceiling of the cave, it was too dark.

Interestingly however, Harry noticed the cave was well lit. The lake somehow providing light, glowing a light blue, something in the depths of the lake providing enough light to see by.

In the centre of the island stood a lone figure.

There was solid ground around them for about ten metres, but apart from the ground they stood on and the island in the middle, there was nowhere else to stand.

Harry stepped into the cave. He met Fleur's gaze then turned to Tonks.

'Can you guys hold position here and be prepared to run if we need a quick escape?' Tonks frowned, but with a look at Harry's two wands, nodded.

Harry moved to the lake's edge, Fleur standing beside him. He sent off another Patronus to Dumbledore before turning to face the lake and the lone figure on the island.

'_Glacio._' Harry murmured with a twist of his holly wand.

A path of ice grew in front of them that they walked along, a few steps behind the bridge he created as they walked. A minute later, the two stood on solid ground again.

Harry moved toward the figure, seeing that it was Mordred. The man looked the same as he did the first time he saw him at the ministry, which seemed so long before.

Laying at Mordred's feet was a woman, a stunningly beautiful woman who bore a wide wound from her shoulder to her hip. Though in place of blood that poured out of the wound, a bright blue liquid trailed down the ground beneath her into the water where it glowed upon mixing with the water of the lake.

Mordred raised his gaze from the fallen woman to face Harry and Fleur, his aristocratic face twisted into a savage smile that sent shivers of fear up Harry's spine.

'Welcome Harry Potter, to the lake of Vivienne. Though she can no longer greet you herself.' He said with a dismissive glance down at the dead woman who even in death held an ethereal beauty.


	44. Chapter 44 - Mordred

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 44: Mordred.**

Harry glared at the man standing before him, his jaw clenched as he noticed the sword held in the man's grip.

'_That's Excalibur!'_ Arthur snarled.

Harry's eyes widened as he read the word engraved in the blade.

Mordred noticed this.

'Oh? So, you know of the artefact which I wield? You know its history then?' the reborn tyrant asked, his head cocked to the side as he regarded Harry.

Harry ignored the question as he narrowed his eyes.

'Why did you kill her?' he asked, his gaze falling to the dead blue-blooded woman for a moment before returning to Mordred.

The man released a slight chuckle and a shrug.

'She refused me my right.' He replied as he raised Excalibur in front of him, inspecting the blade, turning it as blue blood dripped down over the crosspiece onto his gloved hand.

The man wore a suit of crimson armour, much like the Dementor Knights in design. Though it was worn over a dark leather, probably dragonhide, tunic. The armour covered most of his body, leaving his face to be the only visible skin. Up this close to the man, Harry realised that he was large, easily over six feet and built like a castle–solid and strong.

With Excalibur in Mordred's hands, Harry was certain he couldn't defeat the man in single combat. Which left Harry in a tight spot, his mind raced as he tried to find a way to get Excalibur away from the man, then it might be an even fight.

'It has remarkable balance you know. I can feel the power running through me, I feel more alive with this in my hand than I ever did. It is no wonder why my uncle was almost unstoppable while wielding it.' Mordred continued his examination of the sword, ignorant of Harry's mind racing.

Mordred finished his examination of the mighty sword and turned his gaze to Harry, cocking his head to the side. Harry's jaw clenched at how relaxed the man was in his presence, and Fleur beside him.

'I recognise you from somewhere child.' He mused before recognition lit his eyes a moment later.

'You were at the British Ministry when I encountered the mongrel Wizard Lord.'

Mordred narrowed his eyes then he smiled, but Harry saw it more like a cat toying with its next meal.

'I was surprised you killed a few of my Knights, very impressive.'

The traitorous reborn King ignored Fleur entirely as he focussed on Harry, an intrigued expression on his face.

'Why are you in the bowels of this ruined kingdom, young one? What makes you so comfortable to stand before me with little more than a half breed whore by your side?'

Harry's narrowed eyes blazed, never leaving the other man's. Mordred's long black hair hung down on his shoulders and a cruel glint shone in his gaze.

An animal like growl escaped Harry before he clamped down on his emotions with his Occlumency.

'Why did you kill so many people? What did they ever do to you? Why murder a whole city?' Harry snarled, unable to contain his rising anger.

The crimson armoured man laughed; his smile wide as he watched Harry's anger.

'I did it because I wanted to, boy. I am the rightful King of Britain and with Excalibur in my hands, there are none alive who can stop me.' Mordred's eyes glowed a faint red as the man drew his magic to himself.

Harry returned his wands to their holsters with a negligent flick and a moment later, held Godric's sword in both hands. It materialised as if out of sand and Mordred's eyes widened slightly at the sight.

'Fleur, hold back and wait for an opening. I don't know if I can take him, especially if Excalibur is as powerful as both Mordred and Arthur say. But if you get a chance to take him out, do it. No matter what.' He whispered, just loud enough for her to hear while keeping his eyes trained on Mordred.

From the corner of his eye he saw her worried glance in his direction before she gave a slight nod. He released a breath before moving between her and Mordred, Godric's sword held in front of him in a defensive stance.

A moment later, Mordred exploded forward, a fireball leaving his free hand as he closed the distance between them. Harry deflected the fireball with his own sword before both legendary swords clashed. Bolts of lightning erupting from the joined blades, tearing deep rents in the island before both combatants leapt away from each other.

Mordred wore a calculating glare focussed on Godric's sword, the man's jaw clenched before he smirked, and Harry felt the man prepare for another attack.

Mordred rushed at Harry again and once more the two swords clashed, bolts of lightning tearing into the ground around them. This time Harry went on the attack and pushed his body to its limits, his strikes hard and quick, forcing Mordred to take a step back and adopt a defensive posture before he exploded forward.

Harry was caught mid-way through a series of strikes taught to him by Arthur when Mordred attacked with an intensity Harry knew he couldn't match.

'I recognise some of those moves boy, how has Arthur's sword style been passed down so many years?' Mordred snarled, the light of madness in his eyes.

Harry retreated a handful of steps as Fleur moved out of the way of more lightning bolts as they gathered around Godric's sword. Harry let out a breath and activated his ritual tattoos, a moment later his skin shone with white runes as he launched forward, pushing Mordred back again.

A spark of confidence grew in his mind as he pushed Mordred back, only a few more strikes to break the man's guard. Harry's fatigue from the day left him as the power rushed through him, more than he had ever wielded before.

Godric's sword flashed, opening Mordred's guard and Harry rushed in for the kill before Mordred smirked and a wave of power burst out of the crimson armoured man, sending Harry tumbling across the island, ending up laying face down twenty metres away, his skin torn from his tumble across the ground.

Harry pushed himself to his feet, holding out a hand to wave Fleur away as she made to move toward him. His gaze locked on Mordred who emanated a visible aura of dread around him.

Mordred's face shone with vibrant blood red ritual runes, his eyes now shining a bright red. The aura that clung to Mordred filled Harry with despair, much like the effect of the Dementors, but where they pulled at his worst memories to make him feel that despair. Mordred's aura simply forced you to experience the despair, pure and terrible in its simplicity.

Harry felt the difference in their power within moments as Mordred appeared in front of him, Excalibur flashing. Gryffindor's sword blocked the strike but even with all of Harry's rituals activated and Harry actively using his magic to augment his body, he couldn't keep up with the reborn tyrant.

Excalibur flashed in a series of lighting fast attacks that Harry only barely parried. The final strike in a flurry of attacks Harry recognised as one of Arthur's better sequences ended with Harry blocking a powerful overhead blow with Gryffindor's sword, only for it to break.

Mordred unleashed a vicious kick to Harry's face and with Mordred's physical enhancements active, it hurt more than a horse's kick. Harry skittered across the island before rolling to a stop beside the dead blue-blooded woman.

Harry looked up as Mordred stalked toward him, his aura of despair flaring around him before fading, the red ritual runes fading back into the man's skin.

The air around Excalibur shimmered in a haze.

Harry pulled himself to his hands and knees beside the dead woman and a terrible sadness came over him as he looked upon her.

'Who was this woman?' he demanded of Mordred who stopped, cocked his head to the side and wearing a victorious smirk replied.

'Her name was Vivienne, but you might know her better as the Lady of the Lake, a water nymph who once gave Excalibur to my uncle.'

Harry narrowed his eyes and tried to catch his breath.

He released his grasp on the broken sword of Gryffindor.

Harry drew his wands and stood, flicking both wands at Mordred and unleashed every powerful curse he could think of at the man, mixing in Battle Magic when he could.

Harry's eyes widened as Mordred strode toward him, Excalibur flashing as he dispersed Harry's most powerful spells, even the Battle Magic.

Excalibur glowed blue as Mordred parried spells off into the lake.

Despair clung to Harry, making his breathing quicken and sweat gather on the back of his neck that had nothing to do with the magic power he was pouring into every spell.

Harry wondered why he had considered that he could contend with Mordred, wondered why he thought he would have been able to succeed in any of his endeavours.

Then he heard a scream, faint and barely there, but it was a scream he knew well. It was his mother's scream, the night she died, and he only heard that scream when Dementors were around.

His eyes left the approaching Mordred and a dozen Dementor Knights entered the cave behind the Aurors, he saw their Patronus' fail and he moved his gaze to Fleur.

'Fleur, protect them, I'll be fine.' He shouted and he saw the doubt in her eyes.

The sight hurt him, not because she doubted him, no he doubted himself.

No, what hurt him was what would be sure to happen in the next few minutes. Harry saw it then, as clear as day. He couldn't defeat Mordred; he was outmatched, and neither could Fleur nor Dumbledore.

But he knew a way to make it a draw.

The pain it caused him, that realisation hurt like a physical blow. He didn't want to think how Fleur would feel, but she would live. The people Mordred had killed would be avenged.

It would only cost his life.

Harry sighed before giving Fleur a solemn nod. He saw the fear in her gaze before a scream from the Aurors broke their connection. She nodded again and ran toward the Aurors, across Harry's ice bridge.

Harry turned his attention back to Mordred who was only metres away, still deflecting Harry's Battle Magic as if they were schoolyard jinxes.

He resigned himself to death as he aimed his wands at the ceiling of the cave, ready to collapse the cave on top of himself and Mordred.

A single red rune flared to life on Mordred's forehead, where a crown would rest. The rune even resembled a crown.

Harry felt his mind no longer hold any power over his body.

His body fell to its knees and Harry felt all thoughts of defending himself leave his mind as though he were trying to catch air with his fingers.

A shiver of terror rushed through his body, starting in his mind before an instant later it spread out through his spine to the rest of his body. His body quivered in terror as Mordred stalked toward him.

A nameless fear held Harry in its grasp.

Unable to move a muscle as Mordred strode toward him, now wearing a cruel smile as he readied Excalibur for a final blow.

Harry watched in detached horror as Mordred stopped in front of him.

'Farewell young Harry, even though you were indeed powerful, none can stand before the rightful King of Britain.'

Harry fought the nameless terror; the domination of his body and his eyes found the painfully bright glow of Mordred's crown rune.

''Arry!'

Harry heard Fleur's voice scream his name, screamed from far away and time slowed. Harry tore his gaze from Mordred's crown rune and past him to see Fleur kneeling before the eight remaining Dementor Knights. Her glorious white wings outstretched behind her, shielding the cowering Aurors from the Dementor's view. Her wand outstretched as she fired spectral spears at the Knights, though the spears were weak as Fleur struggled against all eight remaining Knights by herself.

He saw her silver hair billowing out around her and the fierce defiance in her silver eyes.

The thought of losing her if he couldn't break Mordred's hold on him tore at his heart.

His gaze went back to Mordred's crown rune and it blazed painfully bright and it struck Harry in that instant. Moments before his death that while Mordred's runes were more powerful than his own, they didn't last quite as long. Harry felt his own runes blazing, providing him with power and he pushed all his power against Mordred's hold.

Excalibur started its downward arc to remove Harry's head from his shoulders, but Harry's mind took everything in. Mordred's crown rune blazing, being pushed to its limit while behind Mordred, Harry saw the Dementor Knights stride forward, ignoring Fleur as her wand arm dropped to her side.

The power of so many Knights overwhelming her defences, two stood before her, each holding one of their black swords, raised to deliver the killing stroke. While the other Knights strode past her defeated form, each standing before an Auror, their swords raised.

One of the Aurors lay on the ground, their head clutched between their hands.

Then Harry felt Mordred's control over him fade, the man's crown rune overpowered by Harry's magic.

In that instant, Harry felt his body return to his control and he threw himself to the left, avoiding the killing blow from Excalibur, though the blade left a cut on his neck.

His wands still in hand, Harry unleashed his peaking magic, firing his spectral lightning at the Dementor Knights. It tore across the cave larger and more powerful than he'd expected, causing the two Knights towering over Fleur to explode into wisps of shadow with their soul tearing screams.

Moments later, the other Knights followed suit as Harry fired wide streams of spectral lightning across the cave, raking the walls with a constant barrage before the Knights knew what was happening, leaving Fleur and the Aurors safe on the cave floor.

Or as safe as they would get.

Harry stood, turning to face Mordred who released an enraged snarl as he stalked across the island toward him.

Excalibur glowed a painful blue, the air around it hazing once more while Mordred activated his ritual runes again, though they glowed so bright that he saw the glow breaching his gloves and the rest of his body that wasn't covered by his crimson armour.

The man must have been covered head to toe in the ritual runes as he glowed light a small red sun. The air around the tyrant shimmered as magic power radiated from the man, his aura of despair was visible enough that Harry was sure he could touch it.

Every step Mordred took, the island under his booted feet almost seemed to cringe, glowing red boot prints remained for a few moments before dissipating, leaving a singed black boot print in its place.

Harry could feel the magic power the man gathered to him and his blood run cold.

It was too much.

Magic power was something Harry had grown used to having over his opponents, even foes like Morgana and Salazar had less power available to them than Harry. But where they were more skilled, more experienced and more able to utilise their power effectively.

Mordred stalked toward him, his mere footsteps caused the ground to quiver. This foe had power far beyond Harry, and the skill, experience and will to use it. Harry could taste the man's magic scorching the air in his rage.

Mordred threw out a gloved hand toward Harry who threw up two crimson Battle Magic shields, one behind the other. But both shattered into nothingness as Mordred's magical wrath crashed into Harry, tearing through what Harry once thought the strongest of shields.

Mordred's wrath sent Harry flying, tossing him through the air twenty metres out into the lake.

The sudden temperature change shocked Harry's mind into focus and sapped his strength. Extreme temperature shock forced him to inhale, bringing with it a mouthful of the freezing water before he choked, trying to expel it.

It was so cold.

Vaguely, he could see Mordred standing on the edge of the island, looking down at him. Excalibur glowing a painful blue as his red runes faded from view.

His vision faded, blackness encroaching from the sides and he struggled against it, against the inevitable.

Then he heard a voice.

It was soft, and musical, like, yet unlike Fleur's. It was caring and full of sorrow. The voice belonged to a woman and Harry was sure he'd heard it somewhere before. He heard Arthur's voice in his head, but it was so distant, no more than a whisper.

'_Vivienne.'_

'Hold on young Harry, be strong. Your time is not yet finished in this world.' The woman's, Vivienne's voice soothed.

'You are safe in this lake Harry.' She continued.

Harry couldn't help but scoff at his hallucination. He'd heard of seeing visions before your death, but he figured he would have seen his parents or something, not a random dead woman he'd first seen minutes before.

'I am now a part of this lake young Harry. All you must do is trust in me, as Arthur once did.' Her voice said.

Harry coughed, trying to expel the water he knew was already in his lungs. Then it hit him, he should already be dead, drowned.

He opened his eyes as he lay on the bottom of the lake, the water around him glowing a bright blue.

'But, you're dead. How is this possible?' he demanded, uncaring that he was speaking under water.

That was a problem for later.

Her musical laugh filled his ears and his thoughts ran to Fleur. Fear gripped him as he thought about what Mordred would do now, she was too close to Mordred and already weakened by the Knights.

'Young Harry, I am a water nymph. The human like body that lays empty on the island was simply the form I chose to take. My essence remained in my blood, which has now joined with the water in my lake.'

Harry took a deep breath, confused that he could breathe it like air.

'Time is short, I can revive you and return your strength, even imbue you with some of my own. But I cannot fight Mordred. He has used the San Graal, or Holy Grail, to create a body far more powerful than his original one was.' Vivienne's voice surrounded him, the sorrow in it obvious to Harry's ear.

'I can however, gift you with Excalibur's twin, Caliburn. Two sides of the same coin, so to speak. Caliburn and Excalibur were often thought to be the same sword, much like any other twin they were subtly different.' She paused before Harry had the impression, she was smiling at him.

'And when joined together, they will form a power greater than any other in this world.' She finished and Harry blinked.

There was no other choice.

'I will do as you ask, I will take up Caliburn and defeat Mordred. But what do you ask of me in return?' he asked, wary of the price she would demand, knowing he would pay almost anything to defeat Mordred.

Vivienne's musical laughter surrounded him.

'Only that you rule well young Harry.'

Before Harry had a chance to ask what she meant, he felt himself shoot up through the water, a trail of bubbles following in his wake. Then he exploded out of the lake, at least twenty metres in the air, a glowing blue sword grasped in his hands. He reached the apex of his impromptu flight before falling back to the island like a glowing blue Meteor.

Mordred stopped his trek toward the fallen Aurors and spun to face the meteoric Harry, Excalibur flashing up to meet Caliburn and the two legendary swords clashed, the blue glow emanating from them filling the cavern with the harsh, almost painful light.

Harry leapt back, glad that his momentum gave him advantage in that first clash. He noticed his ritual runes still flared and realised they wouldn't last much longer, clenching his jaw he rushed at Mordred whose red ritual runes flared to life and the man exploded toward Harry.

The two met, Excalibur and Caliburn flashing almost faster than Harry could follow. Caliburn itself pushed instinctual movements into Harry's mind and he realised the sword was at least partially sentient.

_It wanted him to win. _

With but a moment of consideration, Harry stopped resisting Caliburn's will. Harry poured his power into the fight, everything he had left he used to augment his body and felt Caliburn pouring power into him as well.

More than he could safely contain.

Twin swords clashed between the two warriors, bolts of lightning escaping to tear more rents into the island. The lightning crawled up his arms as he fought, it made him stronger, faster.

But he knew his body was far beyond its limits already. He was a fifteen-year-old boy, his body, even augmented by rituals, was still growing and struggling to harness the godlike power being foisted upon it.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Mordred, the man created the perfect body with the Holy Grail to contain the power of Excalibur.

Harry felt his ritual runes glowing with a harsh white light, they should have long since dissipated, but the power being poured into him by Caliburn must be forcing them to remain active.

That was a bad thing.

His body couldn't contain this much power, not without something drastic happening.

Harry was stronger and faster than ever as he parried and struck out at Mordred with a wicked riposte, every strike growing stronger as his body struggled to contain the seemingly limitless power granted to him. He knew his body would fall apart soon if he continued.

Then he saw his chance.

Mordred's painful red glowing runes were so bright Harry couldn't focus on them; the man was like a small sun. Which Harry remembered from the last time his runes ran out of time.

Mordred's ritual runes glowed so bright that they eclipsed the blue coming from the twin swords, and the white that came from Harry. The reborn tyrant unleashed his rage on Harry, who this time was able to match him, blow for blow.

Then it happened, the red light of Mordred's runic tattoos faded, spent after being used so much in a short time.

Harry saw his chance and took it.

Every drop of power he had access to, he poured into a series of vicious strikes, following the instincts imbued in him by Caliburn.

He was now faster than Mordred and disarmed him, Excalibur was flung up in the air above the two warriors before Harry reversed his hold on Caliburn and ran it through Mordred's chest, piercing his crimson armour as if it were cloth.

A moment later, Harry tore Caliburn from Mordred's chest and lopped off his head.

Excalibur landed beside Harry, point first into the island that Harry noticed for the first time.

It was torn apart.

Deep foot wide rents riddled the surface of the island from all the lightning and it was amazing that neither of them had tripped during their fight.

Harry's attention returned to Mordred as his spirit left his body, it hung above the headless body granted to it by the Holy Grail and Harry called the broken sword of Gryffindor in his spare hand.

Gryffindor's half sword glowed white before Harry used it to cut Mordred's spirit in two, it dissipated with a soul wrenching scream, like the Dementor Knights he had created.

Harry felt Caliburn continue to pour magic into him and stabbed it into the island, beside its twin before he fell to the ground.

Without Caliburn feeding him magic, he realised he was exhausted, and blackness threatened to overwhelm his vision.

He released Godric's sword and it faded away into the air.

Harry lay on the torn ground beside the twin swords, feeling relief rush through his body.

He had won, but only just.

The relief turned to agony as his body tensed, finally rebelling after his treatment of it.

Through darkening vision, he saw Fleur running across the ice bridge toward him, followed by the Aurors.

The last thing he saw before blackness took him was Fleur's beautiful face, fear and worry clouding her perfect features.

'We won, now we're one step closer to our dream.' He whispered.

He saw her smile at him, then lay a kiss on his forehead before blackness overtook him and pain burned though his body.


	45. Chapter 45 - A Dream

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 45: A Dream.**

Harry woke to find himself in his mindscape, standing on an open field that reminded him of Hogwarts, but it wasn't a Hogwarts he was familiar with.

Then he saw Godric, Arthur and Merlin, each standing around him in a circle and smiling at him.

Arthur stepped forward, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

'Young Harry, you have exceeded my expectations. Exceeded my hopes to honest. You have bested the enemies we struggled to defeat in our own time. Congratulations.'

Merlin nodded in agreement and Godric enveloped Harry in an embrace.

'He's right you know young one. You have surpassed us.'

Harry stared at the spirits of the greatest wizards in history and struggled to find the words to give voice to what he felt. But he couldn't, so he stared, and blinked at the three who wore wide grins.

'But there is much still to teach you before we return to Elysium Harry.' Merlin added, a smirk on his wizened features.

'and your own enemy to defeat.' Added Arthur.

'I am proud to see my heir grow into such a powerful warrior.' Godric clapped a hand on Harry shoulder, nearly knocking him to the ground.

'I am proud that a son of Britain has risen to protect it against its foes.' Arthur clapped a hand on Harry's other shoulder, though not as hard as Godric did.

'You are a powerful sorcerer Harry. But never forget those you love, never forget to protect them with all your power, lest you be tempted to fall to darkness like many before you have done.' Merlin warned, a warm smile on his wizened face.

Harry blushed under the praise of his three mentors.

'What has happened around me since I fought Mordred?' he asked before he felt his magic give a twinge as he became aware of Fleur's presence in his mindscape.

He turned from the three men and watched Fleur materialise inside his mindscape, a moment later he held her in his arms.

'I'm so glad you're okay, I was so worried when I saw the Knights-' Fleur's finger stopped him from continuing as she pressed it to his lips as she smiled at him, it was full of warmth and pride.

She kissed him, and it was full of passion, for a few moments he forgot they were being watched by three _very_ old men.

A series of obvious coughs broke them from their kiss and Harry grinned as he saw the blush adorning her cheeks, though he was sure his was worse. She pulled back from him, her gaze still locked on his, a beaming smile splitting her face showing her brilliant white teeth.

'We are in the 'ospital wing at 'Ogwarts. The 'Eadmaster appeared moments after you collapsed. Apparently, his team 'ad been waylaid by many goblins and misguided pure-blooded wizards.' She started, her smile not leaving her face.

'The British Ministry 'as taken control of Camelot and there are talks of moving the Ministry into the ancient castle.' Harry saw her affection for him in her eyes and he happily allowed himself to get lost in their sapphire depths.

'I am proud of you my 'Arry. The Veela, following my suggestion, are working with both the British and the French Ministries to rebuild. It seems they are quite upset we did not ask for their assistance with our assault on Camelot.'

Merlin coughed and the two teens turned to look at the three men.

'We will leave you two to get reacquainted, I believe you have a lot to discuss.'

Fleur let out a musical laugh and a moment later the three men gave them knowing grins and disappeared, leaving the teens blushing at the knowing looks they had received, yet also appreciative of the spirits for giving them time to be alone.

Harry looked back at Fleur as they stood on a grassy hill overlooking a young Hogwarts, before he could say a word though, Fleur pounced on him. They fell to the grass and seconds later Fleur had Harry pinned to the ground, her silver hair cascading down around them, blocking their faces off from the world around them. With a mischievous grin, her lips met Harry's.

* * *

Harry woke up in the hospital wing, in the bed he was so familiar with and let out a groan as he grew aware of the pain racing through his body. In a flash, he remembered how far he pushed it during his fight with Mordred and decided he was surprised he'd survived and couldn't feel bad about the pain he was in.

Every muscle he was aware of, and even some he wasn't, hurt like he'd been under the Cruciatus.

His body tensed in agony as his muscles continued their protest at his treatment and tasted a foul liquid being poured down his throat. He forced his eyes open as the pain receded.

'Poppy.' He croaked, his throat dry and feeling like it was stuffed with cotton balls.

The matron stood before him, a disappointed scowl on her face as she held her hands on her hips in the universal, y_ou're in trouble _expression.

'You were far too reckless young man. One of these days your body will just give up with everything you put it through. Do you have any idea the damage you caused with your latest stunt?' she hissed; eyes aflame.

Harry flinched as if she'd struck him.

'Harry, please don't put your loved ones through that sort of pain. Do you really want them to lose you through your own reckless behaviour?' she sighed, rubbing her temples.

Harry's eyes widened as her words filtered into his mind. He'd never considered the situation like that and shame flooded him as he met her blazing eyes. He didn't miss the tears that fought to escape her control though and it only made him feel worse.

'I'm sorry Poppy. If possible, I'll try not to be so reckless.' He whispered, knowing that in this case he couldn't think of anything else he could have done. But in the future? He would try to do better.

The matron smiled down at him, dabbing a handkerchief to her eyes. Harry felt a sense of belonging in that moment.

He turned his gaze around the room to see Fleur laying in the bed next to his, still asleep. But he figured she'd only joined his mindscape for a few hours, so likely hadn't been asleep for very long.

His smile faded once he saw many of the beds in the hospital wing were filled with Aurors, some wore the British red, while others wore the French blue. He didn't see any from the Bulgarian Ministry.

Harry turned to Poppy.

'Are they going to be okay?' he asked as he lay in place, feeling the pain coursing through his body, despite the pain-relieving potion in his system.

She looked grim.

'Of the twenty-four that went with you to Camelot, nine returned alive and they are in this room.' Harry's eyes widened as his gaze darted across the fallen Aurors. Seven were from his group, including Tonks who was sporting black hair, causing him to not recognise her for a moment as she slept. The other two were from Dumbledore's team and he didn't recognise them. He didn't see Moody.

'Where's Moody?' Harry asked, his stomach sinking.

'Alastor sacrificed himself to save Albus from a Goblin spear.' Poppy said and Harry saw her eyes fill with tears again, though they didn't fall. With a sniff, the matron left the room into her office.

Dumbledore strode into the room and seeing Harry awake, let out a relieved sigh before moving to the end of Harry's bed.

'It seems my boy, that Gringotts regrets ever siding with Mordred in the past and now that he has been defeated and returned to the underworld, the Goblins respectfully wish to aid the one who released them from their poorly worded oath.' The Headmaster wore a tired smile as he looked down at Harry.

'The Director of Gringotts, Ragnok wishes to meet with you Harry at your earliest convenience.' He continued as Poppy re-joined them, the glare she sent at Dumbledore would melt stone.

'Mister Potter will be going nowhere for quite some time Headmaster.' The matron growled and Dumbledore's eyes widened for a moment before settling back to normal.

'Of course not. He must recover from his ordeal.' The Headmaster agreed.

'Knowing Mister Potter's luck, he'll end up getting in a fight with the entirety of Gringotts and still manage to get out and find himself in that bed once more.' Poppy muttered and Harry couldn't help the grin he wore, she wasn't far off the mark to be honest.

He was nervous about having to meet with the leader of Gringotts, the beings who controlled all the wealth of wizarding world. Knowing his luck something horrible would happen while he was there.

* * *

An hour later, the hospital wing was rather full. Now holding Sirius and Remus, along with Flitwick. Ron and Hermione also were there, looking nervous around the unconscious Aurors and worry lined their faces.

It was approaching noon and Harry was looking forward to lunch while having a lively discussion with Sirius about having the time to learn to become an Animagus.

The door to the infirmary opened and Cornelius Fudge entered, a short, round painfully pink clad woman standing beside him.

All sound in the infirmary stopped and every person stared at the Minister in surprise as he strode toward Harry's bed with a wide grin on his face. The woman behind him however looked like a pink thundercloud, her jaw clenched as she saw Fleur still asleep in her bed and Remus standing beside Sirius.

Minister Fudge held his lime green bowler hat in his hands, worrying the brim of the hat with his fingers. Harry recognised it as a nervous gesture he remembered himself doing with his old rags he used to call clothes as a young child.

'Congratulations my boy.' The man gave a wide grin and held his arms out wide as if about to embrace Harry, before thinking better of it.

'You stopped Mordred and reclaimed Camelot for the Wizarding World.' The minister's voice was pompous and held an edge of threat behind it, causing Harry to remember some articles printed about him over the summer.

Harry kept a pleasant smile on his face, though he wanted to tell the politician to never speak to him again, he couldn't. Without the Aurors on his side he wouldn't have been able to survive his fights so far, and he needed Fudge on his side to keep the Aurors at his back.

'You have done a wonderful thing for Wizarding Britain and I will push for an Order of Merlin, First Class thanks to your efforts my boy.' Fudge announced, the man seemed unable to read the room as almost every person present bar the Minister and the pink woman was borderline glaring at them.

Harry cocked his head to the Minister, a small frown on his face.

'Minister, you realise that it isn't safe yet? We still have to track down both Voldemort and Grindelwald.'

Fudge paled at the words.

Harry saw the minister pale further as his eyes fell to both sides of him and Harry looked down to see Excalibur lay inches away from his left hand while Caliburn lay inches from his right. He frowned at the swords presence before turning back to a stammering Fudge.

'Minister?'

The pink clad woman shrieked in alarm as she noticed the swords.

'You are trying to claim the ministry for yourself boy. Why else would you have acquired a false Excalibur but to claim kingship of Magical Britain?' she took a step toward Harry, a hand outstretched to grasp Excalibur before Harry stopped her by laughing.

The woman stared at him in shock as he laughed for a few more moments, Harry noticed Fleur's eyes flutter open, now awake.

Harry noted the rest of the room also staring at him in shock, whether because of his laughter or his apparent heir to the throne of magical Britain, he did not know.

His gaze flitted between Fudge and the pink woman.

'Right now, I have more pressing concerns than to try to rule anyone.'

Harry stared at the pink woman.

'The swords are real, Caliburn was granted to me by Vivienne, the Lady of the Lake while I fought Mordred. Excalibur was taken from Mordred's corpse after I defeated him.'

He turned his gaze back to Fudge who was still pale, and his mouth moved, as if trying to speak.

'I ask that you leave a detachment of Aurors at Hogwarts to be ready to assist the Headmaster and myself in combatting Voldemort and Grindelwald.'

Fudge nodded, his face white as his eyes never left Excalibur.

Harry gave Tonks a questioning look, seeing as she had woken at some stage during the confrontation and received a wide grin in return, her hair changing colours rapidly.

'I ask that Auror Tonks be a part of the detachment, her assistance so far has been of great help.' Harry continued amid the silence of the room; the eyes of his friends still locked on him.

Fudge nodded again.

Harry lay back on his bed with a heavy sigh and Dumbledore clapped his hands, gathering the attention of the room.

'Now I'm afraid Harry has had too much excitement for one day. It is time for us to leave him in peace.'

The pink woman was red faced with fury but left the infirmary beside Fudge who scampered out of the room like a whipped dog, his face white as a sheet.

The other occupants of the room waved to Harry as they left or whispered to each other in hushed conversations as they left.

Soon, it was just the occupants of the hospital wing and Poppy as she moved through the wounded Aurors before reaching Harry.

Harry shared a look with Fleur who wore a mischievous grin as the matron fussed over Harry's injuries.

A few minutes later, the smell of food entered the Hospital wing and Harry felt his mouth water. He hadn't noticed it was after lunch time. Trays of food appeared on the bedside tables of the Aurors, large helpings of various roasted meats and vegetables. Then finally the same meal appeared beside Harry's bed and he reached over to grab his tray with a grin.

''Ungry?' Fleur asked as she eyed her meal in distaste.

A few moments later, her roast meal disappeared and in its place was a grilled fish with steamed vegetables.

Fleur grinned.

'Thank you, Dobby.' She called with a small smile before sitting back on her bed and starting on her meal.

* * *

After the meal was finished and the plates faded away Harry turned to Fleur with a small grin.

'You missed some interesting conversations.' He started.

'Yeah you did, miss Angel. Apparently, Harry here is the King of Magical Britain.' Tonks chimed as she appeared between them in her hospital gown, sitting on the side of Harry's bed with a pained hiss.

Fleur stared at Harry; her eyebrows raised.

Harry groaned and glared at Tonks.

'You know I was getting to that part, right?' before he turned back to Fleur with an apologetic expression.

'It seems that whoever holds Excalibur is the rightful ruler of Britain, at least the magical side. I remember that's how Arthur got the job.' He explained as a wide grin spread across Fleur's face.

'You know what this means don't you 'Arry?' the silver haired Veela asked. At Harry's blank look she sighed.

'We're Royalty. I'm the Queen of the Faeries and you're the King of Magical Britain.' Fleur exclaimed and Harry saw Tonks face go slack and her hair go white, before it flashed through various colours.

Tonks grinned at the two.

'You know, I think I might have to stick around you two for a while. Nothing will ever be boring with you around.' The young Auror joked while both Harry and Fleur shared a look.

'You don't know the half of it.' Harry groaned before Fleur began the long explanation of what was happening in the world, leaving out the parts where Harry had spirits in his head telling him what to do.

* * *

By dinner, the nine Aurors who had spent the day in the infirmary with Harry and Fleur had left, with Tonks giving them both hugs and a promise to see them soon. This left Harry and Fleur with Poppy.

'Miss Delacour, you are free to leave. It seems as though you have recovered sufficiently from your ordeal.' Poppy said before huffing in despair as Fleur grinned and climbed into Harry's bed. The single bed struggling to hold them both.

The matron rolled her eyes and left them alone, muttering about children as she left.

A few minutes later the elder Delacour's arrived with Gabrielle.

Harry grinned at the ecstatic expression Fleur wore as her family entered the room, though he noted she stayed with him in bed and waited for them to come to Harry's bed.

To Harry's amusement, Gabrielle rushed to give him a hug, bypassing Fleur who looked on with a betrayed expression to which Harry wore a smug smirk. The elder Delacour's grinned at the three and took a seat on what had recently been Fleur's bed.

'So, we hear that you two had an interesting day yesterday, care to explain?' Dominique asked, his eyebrows raised.

Harry and Fleur shared a look.

'Well, we should start out with us discovering the location of Camelot…' Harry started and relayed the story, with input from Fleur to her parents.

Throughout most of the story, Gabrielle had Apolline's hands covering her ears.

Harry and Fleur took turns telling the story, and when not speaking, they hurried to eat their dinner once the house-elves delivered it. Harry was impressed that Dobby assumed the rest of the Delacour's would prefer French food and ensured they all received it, much to their delight.

By the end of the story, it was late, and Gabrielle was sleeping across Harry's and Fleur's laps, her arms wrapped around them both.

Dominique stood from his spot on the bed beside the teen and gave them both a warm smile.

'I am proud of the two of you. I know for a fact that I couldn't have done what you two did. Once this is all over, we are going on a family holiday. Yes Harry, that means you too.' Harry blushed as the man prompted his thoughts, then ducking his head he smiled.

'That sounds like a great idea sir.' Harry grinned and beamed as Apolline embraced them both.

'I love you, both of you. I'm so proud.' The elder Veela said with unshed tears in her eyes before she leant down and took Gabrielle into her arms.

'We'll leave you two alone to get some rest for tomorrow.' Dominique said, resting a hand on the small of his wife's back, leading her from the hospital wing.

Harry turned to Fleur, placing a hand on her cheek.

'Alone at last.' He whispered and she grinned.

'Not quite Mister Potter.' Madame Pomphrey's imperious voice sounded through the room and Harry groaned while Fleur smirked at him.

'You knew she was there, didn't you?' he asked, and her eyes twinkled with amusement.

'The least you two could do is have separate beds for the night, for decency's sake.' Poppy sighed and Fleur huffed, with a hidden cheeky grin for Harry alone before she obeyed the matron and returned to her previous hospital bed.

'Finally. Well now, if anything happens, do come let me know will you Harry?' she asked, and Harry gave a nod.

'Of course, mam, good night.'

She gave him a suspicious narrowing of her eyes before sighing and returned to her quarters before the lights in the room went out, leaving only dim moonlight streaming through the windows.

Moments later, Fleur snuck out of her bed and back into Harry's where he gathered her in his arms, holding her close as they both fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

The next morning, Harry woke to feel Fleur in his arms and couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as smelled her hair. It was one thing he loved about waking up beside her every morning, the smell of lavender in her hair as she snuggled into him.

They had worked hard in their training with Godric and the others in his mindscape and he would be glad to just relax for a few moments before they returned to their training.

He opened his eyes before remembering they were in the hospital wing and standing at the end of their cramped single bed stood an unimpressed Poppy Pomphrey.

'Would you believe she sleepwalked into my bed?'

Her glare grew more severe and he sighed, resigning himself to getting in trouble. But he gaped in surprise when she only huffed, a tiny quirk in her lips and turned away. Poppy gave him one last look before she left the room and Harry grinned at her causing her to shake her head.

Harry moved to kiss Fleur's neck and watched in wonder as her eyes fluttered open and she pushed herself further into his embrace. He continued his kisses until the door to the Infirmary opened and Dumbledore strolled in.

Harry groaned before blushing slightly as the older man simply raised his eyebrows in question.

'Good morning Headmaster.' Harry greeted in a wary tone, unsure what to expect from the older man.

'It is indeed Harry, now. I would appreciate if the two of you would be able to join me in my office at your earliest convenience. I have something to show you.'

Then as quick as the man had arrived, he was gone. Leaving Harry and a mostly awake Fleur staring at the door to see if any other interruptions would come.

Poppy returned just as the door closed.

'Who was that?' she asked, her eye twitching as Harry rolled over to face her, his arm still holding Fleur close to him.

'The Headmaster wants us to go to his office when we are ready.' He said and couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face as he watched Poppy roll her eyes.

'Then get dressed and get out of my infirmary. The both of you. I've had enough of these teenaged hormones for one day.' She huffed and left the room but to her quarters again, leaving Harry and Fleur alone once more.

Fleur looked up to him with a grimace.

'We should probably go now, though washing would be a good idea I think.'

* * *

An hour later, the two stood in Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster sat in his large chair behind his desk, a letter in front of him.

'Voldemort is about to attack the ministry, according to a spy within his ranks. He has heard of the fall of Mordred, the one who inadvertently stopped him during the last attack. The Dark Lord has apparently decided the time is ripe to take the ministry.' The old man sighed, running a hand through his beard.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

'What else is bothering you sir. Between the three of us, I'm sure we take Voldemort and the Death Eaters that haven't abandoned him for the other spirits we've defeated.'

Dumbledore sighed again.

'Grindelwald has marshalled an army, stationed at his fortress of Nurmengard. I don't know what he plans to do with that army, but at the size it is the British and the French Ministries will be unable to defend against it.'

Harry stared at the old man; he didn't think Grindelwald would have been the most dangerous of them. Though he was sure Voldemort wouldn't give up without a fight.

'This army is filled with dark wizards from across Europe, most of the Vampire covens of the continent and countless numbers of muggles with their various weapons. In its current state, the Ministries of Britain and France cannot hold back this army. Only the combined forces of the European ministries could stand a chance of holding this army back.' Dumbledore continued, heedless of Harry's internal dialogue.

'But sir, how can we accomplish that? Most of the European ministries are weakened after Morgana and I doubt they'd want to work together in the best of times.' Harry asked and Dumbledore stroke his beard once more.

'The only way I can see to get through this is if Voldemort can be defeated within the next few days. Then the combined might of Europe, including Britain must be turned to face Grindelwald's army. Otherwise there will be no way to stop him.'

Harry nodded, then agony tore through him a moment later as Harry realised the potions Poppy had given him faded from his system. The pain receded after a moment and he noticed Fleur and Dumbledore looking at him with concern.

'Nothing to worry about, just the pain potion wearing off.' He said through gritted teeth, he tried a smile but was sure it was more of a grimace than anything else.

Harry took a breath before standing, swaying on his feet a little before he shook his head to clear it.

'Well Headmaster. We'll be outside for a while, before returning to the Chamber. Fawkes will find us if you need us for anything.'

Dumbledore nodded with a soft smile.

'Enjoy the day as much as you can Harry, Miss Delacour. I hope you two recover quickly.'

Harry nodded and with Fleur standing beside him, left the Headmasters office and made their way down the castle toward the entrance hall. They walked in relative silence and Harry regretted deciding they would walk so far, his body not having recovered from his rough treatment the day before.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the two lay outside on the grass on a hill overlooking the black lake. The sun was weak as it tried valiantly to break through the December clouds.

Harry waved a hand and a dome shimmered into existence around them, the air inside it warm as the two lay beside each other. He felt his body rebel at the use of magic and sighed, even as he clenched his teeth in pain as it tore through him.

''Arry, you should 'old off on using any magic for the time being.' Fleur chastised and he nodded, a sullen expression on his face.

A moment later, she rolled over on top of him with a sultry grin.

'I will give you a reward if you can resist using magic until we go to bed.' She purred and Harry blushed, swallowing before giving a nod.

She smirked at him when she noticed his eyes dart down her shirt which gave him a wonderful view of her chest.

'It's the kind of reward you would _hate_ to miss out on 'Arry.' She whispered into his ear before pulling back and gave him a bright smile at the dazed expression he wore as he imagined what kind of reward it could be.

She drew in close to his other ear.

'It will be even better than what you are thinking.'

She pulled back again and laughed at his wide eyes before leaning down to kiss him. The kiss was slow, and Harry could feel the passion behind it. Moments later, she moaned into his mouth and one of his hands held her hip close against him while his other found its way into her hair, gripping it tight as the kiss grew more intense.

She pulled back, breathless with a grin before it faded and she released him, laying on her side facing him.

''Arry?' she asked, wringing her hands together in a nervous state which he didn't associate with her.

Harry blinked and sat up, facing her. From the look on her face this would be a serious conversation. He figured she wouldn't be preparing to break up with him considering the reward she'd just been offering him.

'What is it?' he asked, his hands reaching out to hold hers, stilling them.

Her head darted up, her eyes locking to meet his before she shook her head. Letting out a breath she gave him a nervous smile and he brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them.

'Nothing is wrong 'Arry. But I need to tell you what I saw in the Mirror of Erised.' She breathed and Harry felt his own nerves fray.

What she saw in the mirror was the thing she wanted most in the world. What if she saw herself in the mirror with someone who wasn't him? She'd bound herself to him with the Veela bond, would she ever be able to be happy if it was someone else she wanted to be with? Did she regret bonding with him?

Rather than voice his thoughts, Harry shook his head.

'You don't need to tell me anything. I-' he was shushed with a finger to his lips and he froze.

'I saw you beside me 'Arry. My family was there also, but there was someone else in the mirror too.' She said and Harry fought his own fears and took hold of the finger that rested on his lips, kissing it.

Their eyes met and she let out a deep breath.

'We 'ad a daughter.'

Harry's mind turned blank in an instant, replaced with shock.

He blinked at her.

'I don't want to push you into anything, that's the last thing I want to do. But I need you to know that's what I saw and that someday I want that dream to come true.'

Harry saw a tear escape and slide down her cheek. He wiped it away with a thumb before moving forward to kiss her salty lips, tears now streaming down her face as he gathered her into a tight embrace. After a few moments he pulled away and sat beside her, one arm holding her close to him, her face buried in his neck as the tears left her.

A few minutes later, Harry used his spare hand to reach into a pocket of his robes and pulled out a wrapped piece of cloth and handed it to her.

'Here, open it.' He urged and with a confused frown, she did as instructed. Her fingers unwrapping the object with great care.

When the first sliver of glass became visible, the cloth that covered it removed, she froze.

'This is what I saw in the Mirror.' Harry whispered and with her now shaking hands, Fleur pulled away more cloth to reveal the piece of the Mirror that Harry took.

The shard with a little silver haired, green-eyed girl on it, a wide smile on her young face.

'The glass froze when the last of its magic left it. When I picked it up the surrounding shards had other aspects of my dream. But this, I couldn't just leave.' Harry murmured, staring at the shard in Fleur's hands as fresh tears escaped and a great sob wracked her body.

She clung to him, as if he were a ship in a storm. Her body heaving as her hands clutched at his robes. Harry held her and kissed her head as the emotions tore through her.

Veela are creatures of emotions, feeling them deeper than non-Veela.

She looked up at him, her sapphire eyes filled with hope.

He smiled at her.

'You are what I saw in the mirror. Both our families beside us. But you held her in your arms. This little girl, our daughter.'


	46. Chapter 46 - Reward

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Disclaimer 2**: _This chapter should be skipped in you do not want to read a sex scene_. If you skip it you will not miss out on any story as I made this chapter to specifically be by itself for ease of skipping if the material is something a reader doesn't want to read or should not. We're on the honour system here people.

**Chapter 46: Reward.**

That night, as Harry and Fleur lay in their bed in the Hall of the Brave, having had Dobby move their stuff up there now that Fleur had control of her powers. Harry lay on his side facing the back of Fleur, just past her on her bedside table was the shard of glass from the Mirror of Erised, showing their possible future daughter.

He tightened his hold of her, and she wiggled her bottom against him.

Harry thought back on their relationship and how they both were the previous year. The events that led them to become friends, and ultimately far more than that. He inhaled the scent of lavender from her hair and gave a contented sigh. A little smile on his face as he noticed her squirming her bottom against him and his body's reaction to it.

Then she stopped, and a part of Harry wanted to groan, he'd been enjoying that.

She turned around in his arms, wrapping hers around him and sliding one of her bare legs between his.

'You've done well during the day 'Arry. I 'ave a reward for you.' She purred; Harry felt a shiver run down his spine at the tone.

He grinned at her.

'You don't need to reward me for behaving myself.'

A wicked grin grew across her face and her sapphire eyes sparkled as she rolled him onto his back and leant down close to his ear.

'You don't need to behave yourself anymore.' She whispered and Harry's eyes widened as she trailed kisses from his ear to his lips. After a few soft kisses, she moved along his jaw to his other ear where she nibbled at it, her teeth softly grinding his earlobe between them.

He pulled in a ragged breath and felt his body reacting in the normal fashion.

'Fleur.' He whispered, but she ignored him.

Her kisses moved down his neck to his collarbone, each kiss leaving a trail of fire like sensation in their wake. A shiver ran through his body and he gasped as her kisses found a sensitive spot on his neck that she nipped with her teeth before she moved her kisses to his chest where she tore his pyjama top free, the buttons flying free.

Harry couldn't find it in himself to care as her kisses ignited something in him. Her hands were busy while she kissed him, they alternately went from running through his messy black hair to sliding across his skin before going back to his hair.

His breathing sped up as her kisses trailed across his chest, his slight chest hair blowing gently from her hot breath on his skin. Her kisses circled his nipple before, with a gentle nip she bit it, making him gasp and she moved down his side where her soft kisses sent shivers of something between pleasure and pain through his body as her wandering lips kissed all over his body.

Occasionally, she nipped at his skin causing a different sort of pleasure to rush through him.

She pulled at his pyjama bottoms and he gasped in shock. They'd never gone that far, he'd known she'd wanted it for quite some time now and so had he, but it had never really seemed right. They hadn't spoken of it, but both knew that they hadn't been fully ready for it. But as Harry considered it, he was ready. He had no doubts about their relationship, he'd never had any overt doubts, but he had always wondered why she chose him.

But now, considering the revelations of the Mirror. He found that he accepted that she had chosen him, and that if she had she would have had a damn good reason to. So that was good enough for him.

Fleur's eyes looked up to meet his, her hands holding his pyjama bottoms, ready to pull them down. He saw the desire in her eyes, the hunger and with an involuntary smirk he realised this wasn't a reward for him at all.

This was something she wanted to do, so he gave her a nod and she grinned, licking her lips as she pulled his pyjamas free in what ended up as an awkward struggle to remove the offending garment.

After tossing the pyjama bottoms to the floor she turned back to him, seeing him completely naked in front of her. Her eyes widened as she saw his member, pointing straight at her.

It was rock hard as she stared at it.

Harry knew she'd seen it before, but he'd always tried to hide it when it was hard, and she'd teased him about it, but he supposed this was the first time she'd seen it in all its veiny glory. He remembered her telling him she'd never had a boyfriend and that relationships were something she'd never had, that Veela don't date. But it still struck him as a surprise that this was as new to her as it was to him.

He watched, transfixed as her kisses trailed down from his belly to the base of his shaft, not touching it, but her proximity to it sent shivers of sensation through him. Her hands caressed his thighs and her nails dug into his skin. Harry let out a groan as she lavished attention everywhere but where he wanted.

Her kisses moved to his balls and she took one in her mouth, rolling it around between her lips and tugging at it. Harry's hands clutched the bed sheets at the sensation, a gasp escaping his lips as his cock felt like it would burst, it was so hard.

She released him with a pop before taking in the other, her fingers squeezing his thighs before rubbing his skin, trailing up to his chest as she sucked and teased him.

Fleur released him with another pop, and he groaned at the loss of sensation before he inhaled sharply when her hand wrapped around his shaft, the feeling of her touching him sent shivers through his body.

He met her hungry gaze and their eyes locked together as her hand stroked him. A mischievous grin appeared on her face as he bucked against her hand. With a saucy wink she broke eye contact with him and moved her attention back to his throbbing cock as she stroked it, her hand held tightly around it.

'Do you like that 'Arry?' she purred, and Harry couldn't do anything more than nod, lost in the sensations she was sending through him.

He watched as she examined him from all angles, all the while her delicate fingers stroked him. Her thumb rubbing the head and the fluid that had already escaped. He groaned, watching her stoked the desperate need he'd been feeling as it built.

She swapped hands and brought her now sticky hand up to her face, her tongue darted out to taste the sticky fluid between her fingers. He couldn't help the groan that came out as he watched her, and felt her hand continue to stroke him, speeding up with every sound that escaped him.

Fleur gave him a wicked grin before turning her attention back between his legs.

The sensations filling him became almost too much to bare and he pushed his head back into the pillow and closed his eyes, at once revelling in the sensations she was sending through his body and trying to hold off the explosion he felt was getting far too close.

He didn't want her to stop.

Ever.

Then he felt warmth surround his cock, and his eyes shot open and he looked down to see Fleur's silver head bobbing up and down on him, letting out small moans as she did, the sound pushed him closer to the edge.

'Fleur, I can't take much more.' He groaned and heard a pleased moan in response as she sucked harder, her bobbing head moving faster, and his hands shot out to grip the bed sheets as he drew closer to the edge.

'Fleur, I'm almost there, almost there.' He gasped, feeling her speed up before he felt himself cross the edge.

'Fleur.' He grunted as he exploded in her mouth before collapsing back onto the bed, gasping for breath as his body relaxed and felt an overwhelming peace settle over him. A feeling that all was right in the world.

Fleur moved up his body to look him in the eye, wiping her mouth with the bed sheets after swallowing his seed.

He stared at her in wonder as she smiled at him.

'That wasn't nearly as bad as some of the girls at Beauxbatons 'ad described. I rather enjoyed it; you even taste quite good. Though I don't think I'll swallow all the time.' She grinned, before laughing at Harry's stunned expression.

She leant down to trail kisses up his chest, her eyes never leaving his, her predatory gaze watching him as her kisses moved closer to his lips.

Harry's dazed mind buzzed with thoughts and feelings, all centred around the silver haired goddess on top of him. When her kisses reached his lips, he wrapped an arm around her, spinning them around so he was on top of her.

She gasped in surprise and he saw her breasts move beneath her pyjamas as her sapphire eyes sparkled in excitement.

He felt her hand on his cock again and watched a wide grin grow upon her face.

'Oh my, 'Arry, you _are_ misbehaving, today aren't you? Still hard? Goodness.' She purred before capturing his lips in a kiss, he could feel her excitement and figured that she was comfortable taking the step she just had, then he was too.

He held her head still as he kissed her, putting as much emotion into it as he could. He watched for a moment as her chest heaved as she caught her breath.

With a mischievous grin, he snapped his fingers and the buttons on her pyjama top disappeared and he tore it off her. She gasped in delight as he removed her top, revealing her breasts and he fell upon her lips, kissing her while his hands trailed along her body.

A hand cupped her breast while he deepened their kiss and she moaned in his mouth, the kiss growing more heated as his tongue ran over her lip begging entrance.

Their tongues fought for dominance while Harry explored Fleur's perfectly sized breasts. One hand pulling her hair slightly while the other squeezed her breast. Fleur's moans grew louder as their kisses grew more intense.

Then he pulled away from their kiss, leaving Fleur breathless and she let out a soft whimper as Harry trailed kisses down her neck to her chest. Her quick breaths causing her breasts to shake with every ragged breath she took.

Harry trailed kisses up her curves as he held her breasts together with his hands before his lips closed around her erect nipple. He sucked on it, eliciting a gasp and felt her hips buck up against his.

With a gentle nip of his teeth he released her nipple, she let out a groan before a quick inhalation of breath as his kisses travelled downward.

Her breathing grew faster as he moved down her body. His kisses trailing down past her belly button as he reached her pyjama bottoms. He tucked his fingers underneath them, much like she had done to him and he stopped, looking up to her hungry gaze.

''Urry up 'Arry.'

With a grin he pulled on her pyjamas, with her aid they slid off without issue and he tossed them aside, no longer paying them any heed.

Her legs were spread showing him everything. Thinking back on their time together he'd never seen this area of her. She'd walked to the bathroom naked plenty of times, but he'd never seen her this naked from the front. The view entranced him, but he shook himself before she could notice his examination.

Between her legs was a small tuft of silver hair and her most private parts. Not entirely sure what to do, he figured he'd experiment and hope she wouldn't be too disappointed in him especially after how amazing she'd been.

He continued his kisses, but upon approaching the silver tuft, he moved past it and her breathing sped up.

'Arry.' She whined as his kisses moved to her firm thighs, all the while he was buying time, looking at her vagina and trying to see any obvious parts to lavish attention on.

'Dammit 'Arry, 'urry up.' She growled and with a smirk he got to work.

He ran his tongue along her outer lips, and she shuddered at the contact, bucking her hips up against his mouth. Harry enjoyed the moan that escaped her lips as he finally touched her most sensitive area.

He used his tongue to move around her, exploring her and tasting her. He couldn't quite place the taste she had, but it was pleasant. Harry listened close to her moans as he explored, trying to discover a reaction to anything he'd done. Then he saw a small nub and curiously licked it.

Her body shuddered and she let out a strangled cry.

'Yes 'Arry.'

Grinning, he focussed on the curious nub, taking it in his mouth and holding it between his lips. She squirmed and balled her fists in the bed sheets, gasping in what he took to be pleasure. Trusting her to stop him if he somehow hurt her, he continued.

He held the nub between his lips and licked it, she bucked up against him again, gasping his name and he figured he was doing the right thing.

His licking grew faster, and he held the nub harder between his lips as he worked the nub.

''Arry, please don't stop. Keep going.' She cried, her body writhing under him.

So, he did.

He sucked on the nub and licked it, even held it gently between his teeth as he licked it. She writhed beneath his ministrations, her breathing heavy before her body tensed and arched up against his mouth. Her legs wrapped around his head, almost crushing him, but he kept going and after a few more moments, she let out a scream that almost brought Harry to another climax as her body relaxed back onto the bed.

He pulled his head out from between her legs and watched her, she looked serene as she smiled at him with half lidded eyes.

Harry wiped his mouth, covered in her juices on the bed sheet and moved up to lay beside Fleur, watching as her body continued to convulse as she caught her breath, her eyes closed.

After a minute, she met his eyes, he'd never seen them so full of emotion. Her body convulsed again, and her eyes glazed over for a moment before returning to his.

'Are you okay?' he asked, eyeing the small convulsions wracking her body as she lay beside him.

She nodded, catching her breath.

'I can still feel it, rolling through me, almost like you're still down there.'

Harry grinned.

'I love you.'

She rolled over, facing him, her beaming smile more brilliant than anything he had ever seen and kissed him.

'I love you too.' She whispered before rolling on her back again, catching her breath.

'Are you sure you 'avent done that before?' she asked, turning her head toward him.

He grinned.

'I had no idea what I was doing.'

She gave him a disbelieving stare before a shiver ran through her body and a light moan escaped her lips before she met his gaze again.

'Well, in that case, I'm a very lucky woman.' She grinned as he leant over to kiss her.

'I think I'm the lucky one in this situation.' He whispered before kissing her.


	47. Chapter 47 - Voldemort

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 47: Voldemort.**

Harry woke up to the sensation of Fleur pressed up against him, they were both still naked from their activities the night before. But it wasn't Fleur who woke him up, rather it was the Phoenix perched at the end of the bed, amusement and concern warring in its black eyes.

It took Harry a moment before he realised the bird was there for a reason, which meant something important was happening somewhere.

Harry squeezed Fleur to his chest.

'Fleur, wake up.' He whispered so as to not startle her.

She groaned and tried to burrow deeper into the bed.

'Fleur, come up, wake up.' He gave her a soft shake and she frowned before her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a sleepy smile.

''Ey 'andsome.' She yawned before she noticed his expression.

'What is it?' she murmured, arcing her body as she stretched.

Harry kissed her forehead and motioned his head toward the end of the bed.

'Fawkes is here. Get ready.' He said as he stood and rushed to the closet, preparing for a combat situation, even if it was just an important chat the Headmaster wanted.

Fawkes squawked and landed on Harry's head as they turned away from Fleur's naked form, running across the room getting herself prepared.

* * *

Two minutes later Harry and Fleur stood in the Headmaster's office, appearing in a burst of flame. Fawkes left Harry's head and flew to his perch with a soft trill.

Harry took in the room; it was as haphazard as always. Small whirring trinkets and strange objects covered most surfaces while maps and portraits covered the walls. On the desk in front of Dumbledore lay the coloured map he'd seen the old man use frequently, this time however, the colour wasn't the blue of Morgana.

It was purple, which he figured was Grindelwald, unless there was another foe skulking around.

Dumbledore still hadn't spoken, his eyes locked on the map before him and his fingers steepled in front of his mouth. The Headmaster's eyes held none of the customary twinkle.

Harry waited a moment before sighing.

'Sir, what's wrong?'

The Headmaster sighed and leant back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment before meeting Harry's. He was looking older than ever, more like a normal old man than the powerful figure he'd known him as.

'Voldemort will attack the Ministry any moment now.'

Harry snarled and his wands flicked into his hands before Dumbledore stilled him, a hand held up in the universal _hold on_ motion. Cocking his head, Harry calmed his mind, but his wands remained in his hands.

'There is more.' The Headmaster sighed.

Harry and Fleur glanced at each other, each shrugging before turning back to Dumbledore.

'Grindelwald is also on the attack. The European Ministries are headed to Nurmengard and I need to go there to help them. The ICW is sending their own elite Auror squads to assess the situation.'

Harry scowled, his mind racing to find a solution to the problem before them.

'The British Aurors are on their way to Nurmengard, leaving the British Ministry wide open to attack from Voldemort and his minions. The only allies you will find in the ministry will be each other.' Dumbledore explained and Harry's jaw clenched, and he noticed the tension in Fleur's shoulders as her blue eyes narrowed.

'I'm sorry Harry, but we either fight Voldemort or we fight Grindelwald. We can't do both.'

Harry snarled, his hands thumping the table in front of him, staring at the map on it.

A hand rested on his shoulder and he felt the tension ease in his shoulders.

'It will be all right 'Arry.' Fleur murmured and Harry let out a long breath, calming himself.

He straightened his shoulders.

'Fleur and I will protect the Ministry while you go stall Grindelwald. Once we're done with Voldemort, we'll follow you to Nurmengard.' He paused, running a hand through his hair.

'Though I don't know the way.' Harry admitted, then Fawkes squawked, flapping his large wings and crossing the room to land on his head, drawing grim smiles from the room.

'Yes, Fawkes probably is the best idea.' The Headmaster agreed before standing, letting out a pained groan as he stepped away from his throne-like chair.

'We have no time to waste. Harry, you have become a remarkable young man. I am proud to have seen you grow these last five years.' Dumbledore held a hand to Harry's shoulder for a few moments before turning to Fleur.

'Miss Delacour, you have been a wonderful addition to our castle, and I think you are a good influence for Harry. Look after him, please.' He urged and Fleur smiled with a nod.

Dumbledore stepped back, gave them both a final nod before disappearing with a pop.

Harry turned to Fleur.

''Arry, you better not be trying to think of a way to stop me from joining you.' Harry ducked his head, sheepish. That was exactly what he'd been contemplating.

She flicked her wand and her Patronus shot out, tearing through the air before disappearing through the wall of the office.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

'Informing the Veela where they will be needed.'

Harry nodded with a soft smile before nodding, disrupting the bird on his head.

'Fawkes, we're ready to go.'

With a soothing trill, Fawkes spread his wings wide while Fleur wrapped Harry in a hug, kissing him.

They disappeared from Hogwarts in a blaze of flame.

* * *

Harry and Fleur dropped to one knee as they arrived in the atrium of the Ministry, Fawkes trilling at them as he flew into an alcove above them to watch the battle.

They had arrived in the midst of a battle, it was carnage. Fallen ministry workers littered the floor while only a handful of Death Eaters joined them. It looked like Voldemort had taken the opportunity to take over Magical Britain while the Aurors were fighting a larger war.

An explosion rocked the atrium as the Floo terminal burst to life, spewing out dozens of Death Eaters. The explosion felt like it came from below while even more Death Eaters crawled out from the Floo terminal.

Using both wands, Harry fired constant piercing hexes, taking down the Death Eaters almost as quickly as they entered the atrium.

Then, dozens of people tore out of the apparition terminal down the hallway, converging on the atrium. The newcomers firing too many curses for Harry to keep up with, but he noticed that all of them were deadly if they hit.

With one wand he tore a wall out of the floor in front of him that collapsed as soon as it appeared, torn apart by the dozens of spells that hit it.

Harry knew Fleur was working on defensive spells beside him and he stepped to the side, covering her from view as he gave her the time needed to set up their defences.

The Death Eaters he'd hit as they came out of the Floo pulled themselves to their feet and Harry's eyes widened as he saw them tear off their tattered robes, revealing hairy bodies and bestial, though not fully transformed werewolves.

With a growl, Harry used one wand to fire pinpoint piercing hexes at the wizards, cutting them down one by one. While with his other wand he conjured paper thin, silver needles before banishing them at the werewolves.

Once the silver needles pierced the werewolves' skin, they were too thin to tear out. This left the werewolves writhing on the floor, the silver leeching into their skin. It would be a long painful death, but Harry didn't plan on the battle taking long. He would remove the silver before leaving the werewolves restrained.

He heard a rumbling from below and refocussed on taking down the werewolves, content for the moment to send a handful of blasting hexes at the wizards, forcing them to take cover.

A brief glance around the atrium forced Harry to admit the Headmaster was right, it didn't look like he had any allies in the room. Apart from Fleur. A momentary thought crossed his mind to have Fleur dominate the Death Eaters, but it would drain too much of her magic. He knew they'd need it against Grindelwald.

Within moments, filaments of silver hung suspended in the air above the writhing werewolves. They were all subdued, including a particularly large and scarred one that Harry was sure he should recognise. With a mental shrug, he turned his attention on the wizards who cowered behind rubble and overturned furniture.

He narrowed his eyes, not recognising any of the Death Eaters. He figured these were expendable, not even being led by anyone important.

The rumbling from below came closer as Harry and Fleur shared a glance before the fountain behind them exploded, chunks of gold speeding through the air with enough force to embed themselves in the walls on impact.

Harry stared, mouth agape, at where the fountain had been for a moment.

In its place was a platform upon which Voldemort stood, surrounded by Death Eaters wearing silver masks rather than the white of the normal Death Eaters that Harry had been slaughtering until now.

Held in Voldemort's hand was the limp form of Cornelius Fudge, the minister was covered in blood and as Voldemort dropped Fudge to the ground, the atrium began to change.

Where once the atrium looked like an ostentatious open space decorated by a hyperactive gold loving teenager without a budget. Within moments, every surface hardened, turning a dull iron grey.

In seconds, the Ministry was on lockdown.

Voldemort watched Harry like a cat with a mouse, a small smirk on his face as his red eyes never wavered from Harry as the pale wizard strode down from the platform past where Fudge's body lay.

Harry heard the whoosh of the Floo terminals ignite, signalling reinforcements.

'We 'ave company.' Fleur murmured, her back to Harry.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Voldemort, the man who'd caused him so much pain throughout his life. He couldn't keep the snarl off his face as he considered the monster in front of him. Voldemort was still pale, like he'd been at his rebirth, but the man had regained much of his looks, his hair had grown back, as had his nose.

Now, the Dark Lord looked like an older, paler Tom Riddle.

Harry glared at the pale man before him.

'Run, take your followers and leave Britain. I have sent Mordred and Morgan Le Fey to the underworld. I have sent Salazar Slytherin himself there too. You are next.' Harry begun, gaining a savage enjoyment out of the slight widening of Voldemort's red eyes.

'But I give you the chance to run, survive for a just a little longer. This is your only chance you monster.'

The Dark Lord grinned at Harry, it was feral and filled with rage.

'None speak to Lord Voldemort like that. There was a prophecy made about the two of us and our first meeting was a mistake, acting on an incomplete prophecy.' The man snarled; his voice almost sibilant.

'But we both know it now, what better time is there to fulfil the prophecy? Your protector Dumbledore is nowhere to be seen, nor his precious Order. Who does he send to protect you? A filthy half breed whore?'

Harry snarled, but calmed himself. Giving in to his anger wouldn't help him, but he filed away the insult and would repay it in time.

The Dark Lord cocked his head at Harry, noting the anger fuelling Harry's magic.

'You know young Potter; we are remarkably similar.'

Harry snarled, a growl escaping his lips.

'We are nothing alike. The only similarity we have is that we both had horrible childhoods. Except you are the cause of mine.' Harry's body tensed, like a spring ready to be released.

'I moved past my childhood Tom. You are still trapped by yours, even dying didn't release you.'

Harry sighed, noting Voldemort's face twisting in rage. His skin turning a mottled red that stood out on his otherwise pale skin.

'This time, I will release you from the world and nothing will prevent that.'

Harry flung two overpowered piercing hexes at the Dark Lord, one ricocheting off a killing curse Voldemort sent in the exact same moment. Both curses veered off to crash into the walls of the Atrium while Harry's second piercing hex bore through Voldemort's left shoulder, leaving a hole the size of a golf ball.

A red mist sprayed out behind Voldemort while his Death Eaters watched on in despair.

With a wordless snarl, the Dark Lord waved his wand over the wound and it re-knitted itself within moments.

Harry grunted and narrowed his eyes, then unleashed as many overpowered spells as he could at the Dark Lord who did the same. Except most of his were killing curses or were otherwise deadly spells, designed more for a painful death than efficiency.

Curses and hexes flew through the atrium with reckless abandon. Harry shielding or deflecting each one, not willing to dodge while Fleur and he were fighting back to back.

She was fighting just as hard, keeping all the present Death Eaters at bay, taking them out of the fight as efficiently as she could, knowing they had to conserve energy.

Harry felt curses whiz past him from the Death Eaters, knowing that she defended what she could, leaving the ones that would miss, even if it was only by inches. But he knew she was on the back foot, fighting all the Death Eaters by herself while he fought Voldemort.

He heard voices amidst the Death Eaters that he recognised.

Malfoy, Nott, Avery and Carrow.

Then a wild cackle filled the atrium and Harry knew that Bellatrix was there too.

'Fleur, go alpha and get in the air, I have a plan.' Harry whispered while deflecting a handful of nasty curses from Voldemort before unleashing a torrent of Fiendfyre at the man, forcing the Dark Lord to defend against it.

A moment later, a bright white flash behind him heralded her transformation and the whoosh of great wings signalled her escape from the immediate area.

With one wand Harry created his stunning shield he'd used on the Goblins under Camelot while the other wand fired an overpowered explosion hex at the ground in front of Voldemort, kicking up dust, shards of metal debris and rubble into him.

Then Harry released the stunning shield.

Sidestepping, he spun around and fired blasting hexes on each of the fallen Death Eaters.

A few moments later, the dust cleared revealing only the inner circle Death Eaters who had defended against the stunning shield.

Fleur landed beside him with a slight smile before she engaged the momentarily stunned Death Eaters, staring at the bodies of dozens of their comrades.

Harry turned back to Voldemort to see the man fire a killing curse, but not at Harry.

The target was Fleur.

The spell careened toward her exposed back; her fight was more active now that she used her wings for the extra manoeuvrability. With a jab of his holly wand and sheer willpower Harry tore up a sheet of the iron grey floor to take the killing curse before he turned his attention on the Dark Lord who stared at Harry with wide eyes.

Harry felt his ritual tattoos activate, their white light filling the room. The power surged through him, making his wands buck at the power of the spells flowing through them.

He knew his increase in power, his anger at the man in front of him affected his accuracy didn't help either and Harry sought to wrestle his emotions into a semblance of control. Power was no use if he couldn't use it to do what needed to be done.

The boost to the spells coming from Harry had the effect of forcing Voldemort to dodge them rather than shielding or deflecting them. Harry's brute force overpowered Voldemort's ability to defend. It was only the Dark Lords experience that was keeping Harry from tearing him apart.

Harry strode toward Voldemort, exulting in having the upper hand against the man who murdered his parents.

But then Harry noticed the Dark Lord's spells missing him. Was the man scared, his spells going wide in panic?

He heard the wild cackling of Bellatrix and realised what the man was doing. The monster wasn't aiming at Harry.

Enraged, Harry fired a flurry of curses at Voldemort and some at the floor beneath his feet, blasting up shards of dull grey iron into his face. Harry let out a smirk as the Dark Lord stopped his attack on Fleur, unable to continue under Harry's barrage of spells.

He unleashed a massive Fiendfyre, filling the space between himself and the Dark Lord. Using one wand to exert his will over the fiery serpent and his holly wand to deflect Voldemort's spells. He watched the Dark Lord's eyes widen as the massive fire serpent barrelled toward him like an angry flaming train.

Harry fired a piercing hex with his holly wand but it connected with a killing curse. However rather than deflecting, the two spells combined. A sphere of golden light erupted from the core made of his and the Dark Lord's combined spells.

The core generating the golden sphere shifted under the pressure of both Harry and Voldemort exerting their will. A warm trilling sound filled the air, sounding like Fawkes' song and Harry frowned in confusion.

The confusion and sphere were short lived, however.

Harry's Fiendfyre reached the Dark Lord and leapt upon him, and the man was unable to defend against it, his wand locked in a battle of wills against Harry.

Harry heard the wild screams of Voldemort as the Fiendfyre devoured him. His eyes were flinty as Harry watched Voldemort fall to the floor, dropping his wand and breaking their connection. Tom Riddle rolled on the dull iron coloured floor, his screams filling the Atrium as the Fiendfyre consumed him.

After the screams faded, Harry willed the Fiendfyre away and it dispersed, leaving behind a charred husk of what was once Voldemort.

No floating spirit emerged from Voldemort's body. He hadn't escaped from the underworld like the others, he'd used some other way to cheat death.

Not that it had worked in the end.

Harry dropped to one knee and let out a breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

He felt Fleur's arms wrap around his shoulders, her lavender scent filling him with a sense of home. A sense of overwhelming fatigue filled him, and he sagged back into her embrace.

'I think I need a few days of sleep. We only had a day between Mordred and Voldemort.' Harry remarked and Fleur kissed his cheek.

'Oui 'Arry. But we must go aid your 'eadmaster no?' she replied, and Harry nodded with a groan.

He kissed her hand and stood, looking around the room at the bodies of Death Eaters littering the floor. Countless Death Eaters with white masks, werewolves who were half transformed still writhed on the floor from the silver in their wounds. But the bodies of the inner circle Death Eaters were torn apart.

Nott, Avery and Carrow were missing limbs while half of Malfoy's face was burnt. Bellatrix however was covered in wounds, her robes torn in more places than not. The woman must have given Fleur a hard time, refusing to give in.

Then he looked at the body of Cornelius Fudge. The man was a fool, but he hadn't deserved to die.

Harry waved a wand and conjured chains to bind the werewolves. Then conjured steel spikes that pinned the chains into the atrium floor. With his other wand he removed the silver from the werewolves. At Fleur's raised eyebrow he gave a grim smile.

'I'm pretty sure that not all these werewolves really wanted to be here. Hopefully there are at least some Aurors still in the country to deal with this mess.' Harry ran a hand through his hair before letting out the breath he'd been holding before turning to face Fleur.

'I hope that this next battle will be the last one. Maybe we can go on that holiday your parents mentioned?' Harry asked with a hopeful expression. Fleur leant in to kiss his cheek.

'Oui, that will be a good idea.'

Harry sighed, before straightening his shoulders.

'Fawkes, can you take us to Dumbledore?' he called, and the Phoenix gave a happy trill as it circled down from its perch high above them.

''e may need some 'elp.' Fleur added as the bird landed on Harry's head.

In a flash of flame, the two teens and fire-bird left the British Ministry Atrium.

And entered a war zone.


	48. Chapter 48 - Hades

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 48: Hades.**

A burst of flame signalled Harry and Fleur's arrival in the alpine mountainous region of Austria just as a tower at the peak of the very mountain they stood on collapsed.

The tower was a tall triangular building, three-sided and made of black stone that stood out from the white snow-covered mountain it stood on. It stood about two hundred metres tall with black spiky protrusions littering its surface.

The deafening roar of the collapsing tower filled his senses as he watched it come down toward them. Gritting his teeth, Harry drew his wands but before he could put up a shield, a flash of white light behind him signalled Fleur's transformation and Harry felt himself lifted in the air.

Together, the teens hung in the air, Fleur struggling to hold them both. They watched with wide eyes as the black tower fell, rubble covering the spot they'd been moments after they'd taken to the air.

After the dust settled, Harry could tell Fleur was growing tired. The strain of carrying him was too much, they'd never considered including this scenario in their training.

All around them, across the surrounding mountains Harry saw burning tents and smoke rising from the burnt remains of an army, bodies littered the ground, more than Harry could count in the few moments he looked.

Harry saw flashes of light coming from mountain peak the tower had been standing on. He saw a flicker of Fawkes diving around the bright lights.

'Fleur, can you take us to the top of the mountain?' Harry called over the wind as it buffeted them.

With a strained grunt she flapped her brilliant white wings, gaining height and moving toward the mountain peak.

As they got closer to the peak Harry noticed two figures fighting a third. His eyes narrowed as he tried to make out who was fighting, it was likely them who had destroyed the tower.

As they landed and Fleur retracted her wings Harry raced toward the fight and noticed one figure immediately.

It was Dumbledore.

But the old man was battered, bloody and Harry had no idea how the man was still standing. His left arm hung useless at his side and most of his long beard was burned away, leaving an uneven singed mess.

But what shocked Harry as he approached the fight was that Gellert Grindelwald stood side-by-side Dumbledore as they fought the third figure.

He recognised Grindelwald's white hair, and goatee from the history books he'd glanced at so Godric and the others could catch up on recent history.

The amount of magic Grindelwald was throwing around left Harry blinking in surprise, the man wielded a single wand like a master. His spell casting almost as fast as Harry's when using two. It was no wonder the world feared the man so much.

The third figure used no wand, they used wandless magic. But their wandless magic was far beyond what he could use, or that Arthur could use. It was even beyond what Merlin could do.

The third figure clapped their hands together and a bow wave of power erupted from them, shattering the surrounding rubble into dust, sending the elderly wizards off their feet.

A black man-sized hole appeared in the air behind the figure without a sound. The figure said something to the two fallen old men that Harry was too far away to hear before stepping back, into the portal which closed behind them without a sound.

Seconds later, Harry slid to a stop at Dumbledore's side.

'Sir, are you okay?'

Harry had learnt nothing about medical magic, it was on his list of things to do. But something else always got in the way. But he looked over Dumbledore and sadness filled him as he took in the wounds the Headmaster bore.

He didn't think that even magic could fix them.

To Harry's dismay, Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head.

'Harry my boy. I'm glad you've come.' The old man coughed, blood spurting from his mouth onto his beard.

'Grindelwald wasn't creating an army for world domination like we assumed. He'd been preparing to fight a far more powerful foe than the ones we were fighting.'

Harry saw the light behind Dumbledore's eyes fading and knew there wasn't much time.

'Fawkes, please come help him.' Harry called, tears in his eyes and the phoenix was there moments later, releasing tears onto the Headmaster's wounds.

The tears were large, pearly white and useless.

They splashed onto the old man's skin and dripped away, as healing as if Harry had cried tears onto the man. With a start, he realised he was, his tears joining with Fawkes' own.

Dumbledore let out a soft chuckle before cringing with pain at the movement.

'The foe you saw us face was Hades, god of the underworld. Hades controls that place where all spirits go when they die.'

Harry blinked, staring at the aged Headmaster before nodding. Astounded that Hades, an actual god existed, let alone was there only moments before.

'Voldemort's rebirth tore the fabric between our world and the underworld, tore it just enough so he could escape his prison of eons.' Dumbledore continued, a trickle of blood trailing down his cheek that Harry watched in morbid fascination, tears flowing from his eyes.

'The spirits we faced escaped because they were powerful enough to do so, not because Hades wanted them to. They weren't even a part of his plan; mere spirits are beneath his notice.' Dumbledore grasped Harry's hands in his and Harry was shocked at how cold they were. He felt a ring be placed into his hands and examined it.

The ring glowed green in Harry's hands, a green stone the size of his thumbnail formed the central focus of the ring, while it was held in place by a tarnished gold band in the form of a snake, a snake head biting each side of the stone in the middle. The stone itself bore a symbol that was familiar somehow to Harry.

A triangle with a circle inside it that touched all three sides and a line down the middle from the top of the triangle, bisecting it.

Harry looked back to Dumbledore who coughed another mouthful of blood, this blood was far darker than the previous blood.

'Harry, I need you to do one last thing for me. Without question you hear?' the Headmaster said, a hint of steel in his weakened voice.

Harry nodded.

'Of course, sir. What is it?'

'Take my wand, do it now. When you disarmed me during our practice duel before we fought Salazar, my wand changed its allegiance to you. I don't have much time left to explain. Take my wand, do it now.' The old man said, coughing up more blood. Fawkes flapped his wings in distress, trilling a heart wrenching song.

Harry blinked and reached out to pick up Dumbledore's wand from where it lay a few inches from the man's hand. The long piece of wood had spherical knobs down its length and as soon as his skin touched it, a power beyond anything he'd experienced flooded through him.

Harry stood up, backing away from Dumbledore and Fleur who'd been behind him, her wand on Grindelwald. She looked worried as her eyes followed him.

The power flooding into him surrounded him, an inky blackness covered his body, leaving him shrouded in shadow as his invisibility cloak appeared in front of him. He'd left it in his trunk in the room he shared with Fleur, he didn't understand how it was with him now.

Harry felt the inky blackness fill him, the power at his fingertips beyond anything he could imagine. But the power felt wrong somehow, filled with darkness.

He felt like he was trapped under a waterfall, he couldn't move, couldn't hear or feel anything. It was just himself and the darkness inside him, creeping through his veins, leaving him chilled to the bone. But oddly, the cold comforted him.

A moment later, the sensation faded and in his hand was Dumbledore's knobbly wand, the green ring the Headmaster had given him, and his invisibility cloak hung over his forearm. All three objects touching each other.

To the side of the group lay Gellert Grindelwald, the beaten and bloody man wasn't in much better shape than Dumbledore, but the man held a look of wonder on his face as he stared at Harry.

Harry turned back to Dumbledore as he coughed up another mouthful of blood, the remnants of his beard now coated in almost black blood.

'Headmaster, where can I find Hades? We have defeated all our other foes, only he is left.' Harry asked, his eyes full of sorrow. Not even Phoenix tears could heal the Headmaster, and they healed Basilisk Venom.

Harry watched as Dumbledore coughed, looking like he was trying to speak, but couldn't get his body to follow instructions. More blood spurted onto his beard as Fawkes cried more tears onto the old man.

Tears fell down Harry's face as he watched his idol struggle in his last minutes of life. Fleur clung to Harry, Grindelwald forgotten as she felt his pain, though he fought to hide it.

'Olympus.' Dumbledore choked as more blood trickled down his cheeks.

Then he relaxed, the ancient body of the Headmaster gave out. His head rolled back, and he fell limp, letting out one final breath and something inside Harry cracked.

His head dropped down onto the Headmaster's still chest and he unleashed a heart wrenching scream, releasing his sorrow, his grief and his pain. Harry's hands balling the aged man's brightly coloured robes as sobs wracked his young body.

'Young Potter.' Croaked a voice from behind him.

Harry turned, tearing himself away from his grief for a moment, turning bloodshot eyes on the frail form of Grindelwald.

'You are now the Master of Death. You hold the three Deathly Hallows.' The ex-Dark Lord said, his eyes sparkling with pain and mania.

Fleur wiped a tear from her eye, sniffing.

'You're mad. The Hallows are a myth.'

Grindelwald turned his eyes to Fleur for a moment, they were filled with sorrow and pain.

'In our youth, Albus and I searched for them, across the world. Until there was an incident and Albus' sister died. Then it was just me who continued the search.' A tear fell down the old man's face.

'I found the Death Stick, the Elder Wand.' He nodded at the knobbly wand in Harry's hand that he'd taken from Dumbledore.

'Then, at the end of the war, I lost the wand to Albus, who despite our friendship was forced to stop me. Refused to listen to why I did what I did.' Harry watched the man, unsure what the Headmaster saw in the other elderly man. But then, the Headmaster had always been about second chances.

'The invisibility cloak had always been passed down one of the pure-blood families connected to the Peverell line. I had considered the Potters, but none ever displayed a tendency to use it, until your father. Perhaps that was why it was the Potters who'd held the cloak in an unbroken line from the last Peverell.'

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man, noticing a growing pool of blood under him and unsure whether he cared.

'The ring, I tracked it down to the Gaunt line, an offshoot from Salazar Slytherin and I figured it had been in Voldemort's possession, but hadn't the time to retrieve it recently. But it seems Albus had done that part.' Grindelwald, once the terror of magical Europe explained, his face growing pale from the blood loss.

'And now, young Potter, you hold all three and the nearly limitless power of Death itself. Perhaps the only thing powerful enough to combat a god. Because make no mistake, Hades lives up to his name.' the old man gave an ironic laugh, then cringed at the pain it caused.

'I created the largest army ever known in Magical History while you and Albus fought shades of the past. That army was tossed aside like it was nothing in minutes.'

Harry heard the man's voice wavering for a moment before continuing.

'Even Albus and I standing together only slowed him down.'

'Now young Potter, I have a gift for the Master of Death. The location of Olympus. I will pass the knowledge to you if you give me your hand.' The ex-Dark Lord asked, holding out a hand from his prone position.

Harry glanced at Dumbledore's body. The Headmaster had fought side-by-side with the man, that showed a degree of trust. With a nod, he decided to do the same to avenge the Headmaster's death. He looked at Fleur who he could see had misgivings, but gave a slow nod, tears in her eyes. A smile on his face, Harry nodded back to Fleur before turning to Grindelwald, the smile fading.

Harry could see the pain the man was in and moved to the prone man, falling on one knee in front of him.

Harry clasped Grindelwald's hand and felt an image thrust into his mind, along with knowledge, so many images of the man's past. His youth with Dumbledore, the preparation for his war in Europe and through it all, Harry saw his need to prepare.

Grindelwald had known Hades was coming, he just hadn't known when.

Images rocked through his mind of his research into the Hallows and their connection with Death, their connection with the underworld.

That was how he'd known about Hades.

His research led him to Hades, and Harry's mind swam in the images and feelings attached to each of them.

A splitting pain erupted in his mind and he knew Merlin and the others were hard at work, sorting out the memories. The pain lessened to a manageable level and Harry realised he'd closed his eyes at some stage.

He opened them to see Grindelwald, his eyes closed and no longer breathing, the old Dark Lord had given his final breath to help Harry.

Harry stood and took a worried Fleur in his arms. Hot tears slid down his face to fall on her silver hair. He knew more than his grief caused the tears, they were for everything that had happened in the lead up to this point.

'Fleur. Grindelwald gave me a massive amount of his memories; Merlin and the others are sorting through them now. But one thing was clear.' He started, pausing as she pulled her face out of his chest, her sapphire eyes meeting his.

'What?' she asked, her voice raw.

'Grindelwald was trying to prepare for Hades the entire time, everything he'd done since discovering the Hallows was done to confront Hades. He'd been the lesser of two evils for the sake of the world. The Greater Good.' He whispered, unsure how he felt about his new knowledge.

Her eyes widened as she struggled to understand, to combine this new knowledge with everything she must have been taught as a child whose family suffered under Grindelwald's war.

'Fleur, I know where Hades is. I need to face him. But I will need back up.' Harry begun, she nodded with a resolute expression on her perfect features.

Harry's gaze dropped to the ground.

'I'm going to need more back up.'

Using the same trick Grindelwald had used on him, Harry pushed the location of Olympus into her mind.

She cocked her head for a moment before her eyes widened.

'I need Titania, Queen of the Faeries to lead the Veela and what is left of the European Aurors on an attack on Olympus.' Harry declared and gave her a small smile, kissing her forehead.

'I don't know what will happen. But if there was one thing that Grindelwald knew, it was that Hades cannot be allowed to step foot in Olympus for long. He's been there too long already.'

Fleur nodded before wrapping Harry in a strong embrace. Harry felt her lips crash against his with a passion that left him stunned.

'I will see you soon 'Arry. I need you to make it out of this alive so we can 'ave our dream.' She whispered in his ear, sending chills down his spine.

Harry kissed her and gave her a smile, nodding to her.

'Go Fleur, can you apparate and please take Dumbledore with you if you can?' She nodded and knelt beside the Headmaster's body.

A moment later, they disappeared with a loud pop.

Harry turned to Fawkes who stood beside where Dumbledore had lain, his large black eyes staring at the blood that remained, much of it mixed with Phoenix tears. More tears trailed down from the Phoenix's eyes.

'Fawkes, would you help me one last time? I am going to avenge his death.'

Fawkes trilled at Harry and he felt the distinct hum of pride wash through him at the sound. Flapping his large wings, Fawkes soon perched atop Harry's head and Harry looked down at Grindelwald one last time.

'Thank you, for trying to help, right up until the end.'

As he looked down, he saw a strange mark on the back of his hand.

It was the same symbol that was on the ring. A triangle with a circle touching each side, bisected by a line down the middle. The symbol glowed white as he stared at it, memories of Grindelwald rushing through his mind, teaching him everything the old Dark Lord had known about the Hallows.

Then an instant later, Harry disappeared from the ruins of Nurmengard castle in a burst of flames.


	49. Chapter 49 - Olympus

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 49: Olympus.**

Harry arrived at Olympus in a burst of flame, Fawkes on his head. Upon arrival, he dropped to one knee, both wands out and ready to fire at whatever horrors awaited him.

But nothing was there.

He stood on a mountainside, giving him an amazing view of light grey mountains, some capped with snow. The mountain upon which he stood was almost barren, tiny tufts of hardy grass clung to life in crevices in the rocky mountain slope.

But despite the barren appearance of the place, there was magic in the air. This place was somewhere special, it made the magic surrounding Hogwarts seem trivial in comparison. In the predawn light Harry eyed his surroundings, finding nothing that alerted him to the fabled home of the gods.

Closing his eyes, he calmed his mind with occlumency and felt a tug on his magic. However, it wasn't the familiar magic he'd been learning to use over the last few months with Merlin and the others. This magic calling to him was oily and dark, making him recall the sensations that rushed through him when he obtained what Grindelwald had called the Deathly Hallows.

His thoughts considered the possibility of the magic he was feeling being that of the Deathly Hallows, the magic of Death itself.

Opening his eyes, he glanced around himself, memories thrust upon him by Grindelwald, revealing the way into Olympus. Somehow the man had dumped a lifetimes worth of memories and knowledge into his head with a handshake.

Shaking his head he decided to deal with that issue later, he held out a hand in front of him.

This next part would be easier with a staff, but he'd still not constructed one. With his hand outstretched he figured it would take far more power than he was comfortable with, but Hades was already in Olympus and Harry was running out of time.

He closed his eyes and focussed on the wards surrounding Olympus; they were powerful, so much so they'd never been breached. Even the magical world had thought they were a myth.

But here he was breaking into the place.

Harry bent his mind to the wards; his hand glowed, wandless magic being substituted for staff. His wands wouldn't be able to handle the amount of raw magic he would use on the wards.

Harry twisted his hand in a circular motion and with a sound like shattering glass, an opening appeared in front of him and he clenched his hand into a fist and the jagged opening morphed into an archway, stable enough to provide an entrance for others.

The exhaustion he expected to feel from pushing his way into the wards didn't come, Death's magic came as called and made forcing a hole in the wards a simple matter.

Blinking in surprise at his newly gained power, Harry shook his head, resolving to deal with it later.

That list was getting rather long.

Holding out an arm to act as a perch Harry let out a breath.

'Fawkes?'

The Phoenix leapt off his head and landed on his arm, Harry marvelled at the bird, it was weightless on his arm.

He felt a keen sense of sorrow coming off the bird.

'Fawkes, I don't know what it is you're feeling right now. This must be terrible for you.' He paused and let out another breath. The Phoenix tilted his head at Harry and blinked his large black eyes, waiting for Harry to continue.

'Fawkes, I want to ask you to help us. But also, if you desire it, I would be honoured to take you as a familiar. I don't want to replace Albus, I never could, but you have been a great help in the past and I want to repay you in some way.'

Fawkes blinked at Harry again, cocked his head and trilled a short tune that filled Harry with a sense of happiness. The bird flapped his large wings and flew to stand on Harry's head once more.

Harry couldn't help the grin on his face, glad to see Fawkes happier.

His grin faded moments later as reality encroached on him.

'Fawkes, one last favour. Can you guide Fleur here when she is ready?'

With a trill, Fawkes leapt off Harry's head and flew around him in circles. The Phoenix singing a song of pride before he disappeared in a flash of flames.

Harry turned back to the archway he'd created, the entry to Olympus.

* * *

As he walked through the archway Harry marvelled at the Golden City of the gods. It was kind of like he had imagined it in his childhood when hiding in the local library from Dudley, he'd read up on many things. He'd come across the mythology of Ancient Greece one morning and had been fascinated by it for years, learning everything he could.

It was only when he'd gotten his Hogwarts letter that he'd stopped having to hide in the local library and had, as a result, not done any further research on the Ancient Greeks until returning to Privet Drive during the summer.

The city was made from gleaming marble and gold, with light seeming to shine out of every surface. The magic in the air pulsed around him, as if calling him home. He felt welcomed rather than the intruder he was.

Harry resisted the urge to stand and bask in the welcoming energy of the city, remembering he was there for Hades.

He gazed upward and saw the Golden City rise high in the clouds. There were gleaming promenades, thick tall pillars that held heavy marble roofs and rather than the hot Mediterranean sun beating down on him, it felt like the city had its own separate climate.

In the distance the city continued, with gigantic statues of men and women, likely the gods themselves loomed over the city.

Harry thought this odd, that the gods would erect giant statues of themselves in their city.

But what would he know, he was just a mortal?

He felt a tug on his Deathly magic, pulling him towards a twisted gate, torn open from the outside. Harry narrowed his eyes at the gate, Hades had forced his way in.

Something about that act bothered Harry.

With a frown, Harry moved past the sundered gate and considered what he knew. Olympus seemed to welcome Harry into it. While Hades, one of the gods themselves, had to tear his way through the city.

Harry frowned as he followed the path from the destroyed gate as it led up, winding around a spire that looked like someone had carved it from the mountain they built the city upon. He was going to a higher level of the city on the mountain.

With every step, the tug on his Deathly magic grew more insistent, impatient almost.

The urge to run became a constant companion, to speed his way to the top. But at the same time, an equally strong urge rose in his heart to walk. These conflicting urges left Harry agitated, his hands twitching, wanting to draw his wands even though there were no threats nearby.

As he rose, he saw no signs of habitation. No personal belongings or half completed tasks. He could see no clothes on the clothesline, if gods even needed them. He saw no people, human or god or anything else living.

There were no signs of conflict, bar the gate that Hades had torn through.

Olympus was deserted.

After ten minutes of silent climbing, Harry's nerves were frayed. The only sound being his own breathing and footfalls.

There was no clue whatsoever as to the whereabouts of the gods.

His Deathly magic roiled as he climbed ever higher, seeming to exude an eagerness to get to the top. Memories of Grindelwald surfaced in his mind as he moved up the steps, he'd lost count of how high up the stairs he was.

Harry saw the years of research Grindelwald had poured into his plans, into the Hallows and the underworld. The years he had languished in his prison were spent building his research.

Then it struck Harry.

Grindelwald hadn't been imprisoned at all; the ex-Dark Lord had removed the shackles Dumbledore had placed on him mere minutes after he had left. Then spent the next fifty years away from the world, hidden in his tower dedicating himself to the study of the Hallows and the underworld.

The man's research pointed to the idea that as the Master of Death, Harry had the power to draw spirits from the underworld.

He looked down at his hands and allowed his mind to consider the power he'd inherited. He still moved up the steps, as if his feet were on autopilot.

The power of Death flowed through him, infused him with its power and he could feel the weakened barrier between the underworld and the living world. It was like a worn, faded and frayed old t-shirt. It still worked, but wouldn't last for much longer.

As he considered the barrier, he could feel the spirits of Tartarus. The spirits of the darkest of humanity, straining to escape their eternal prison and return to the world of the living like Mordred, Salazar and Morgana had done.

Harry's senses returned to his surroundings as he noticed he had stopped on a wide platform. A single staircase away from the peak of Olympus, he felt, somehow, that was where the thrones of the gods sat.

He felt his Deathly powers grow, roiling at his mental command. With only a thought, called forth those he had always wished to see more than anything else.

His parents.

He stood as a silent chill wind rushed around him and his eyes glowed killing curse green for a moment.

Standing before him were transparent ethereal versions of his parents, looking only slightly older than himself. They were coloured with a slight green tinge, but he could see his mother's vibrant red hair, and the messy black hair of his father.

'Mum? Dad?' he asked, a hand reaching out to them, before they smiled and moved to him, enveloping him in a hug he could barely feel.

'Oh Harry, we are so proud of you. We've been watching from Elysium.' Lily Potter said, ethereal tears in her eyes.

'We've seen everything you have accomplished my son. Though I'd never even considered you growing so powerful as to becoming the Master of Death.' James Potter said with a smile on his transparent face.

James then turned and glanced around them, giving a whistle as he took in Olympus.

'Harry, it's a bit ostentatious don't you think? Maybe just go for a normal house for you and your girlfriend?'

Lily smacked James arm. Though her smile showed no malice behind it.

Lily turned back to Harry with a sombre expression.

'Harry, love. You need to release us back to Elysium.'

Harry stared at her in disbelief, his jaw dropping.

'B-but I could bring you bring to life, get you new bodies. We could be together again.' He said, his voice sounding very small, even to his own ears.

Lily sighed, ethereal tears sliding down her cheeks.

'Yes, Harry, you could. But that would tear the barrier between the underworld and the living world a hole large enough for trillions of souls currently in Tartarus to escape through. Imagine all the innocent people who would get hurt, or worse.' Lily replied and Harry froze.

'Harry, the others escaped because of their immense power. But the two of us? We would never even be close to even Dumbledore's level of power, let alone any of those that escaped. If you were to pull us from the underworld, the barrier would fall, or close enough to cause major damage. The underworld would empty.' Lily continued, tears flowing down her face as she spoke.

He hadn't thought of anyone else, hadn't thought of the barrier that was even now fraying the longer Hades remained outside of the underworld.

Harry stared at his parents, the two people he'd always dreamed of meeting, who he'd always hoped would save him from his childhood. Instead, they'd stopped him from dooming the world with his selfish desires.

Lily and James gathered him in their arms and held him close as he allowed years of pain and hardship to leave him, letting it go after so long. Though he could only barely feel them, he knew their love for him was real and that was good enough for him.

James ruffled Harry's hair with a grin as he stepped back, allowing Lily to kiss Harry's forehead before joining her husband.

'Release us Harry. Seal the underworld and strengthen the barrier, you can always send Hades back there after you strengthen the barrier.' James grinned at Harry's downcast expression.

Harry nodded, eyes still not meeting his parents'.

'What good is all this power if I can't use it the way I want to?' Harry mumbled and James lay a hand on his shoulder.

'There is nothing wrong with wanting to help people Harry. But as Dumbledore was fond of saying, there will be a time when we must choose-' James paused for a moment with a wide grin as Lily rolled her eyes at him and Harry grinned, knowing the saying.

'-between what is right and what is easy.' The three Potters said with a smile.

James and Lily held each other, arms around each other's waists.

'It is time Harry. We love you. You will see us again, only it will be many years down the road, and you'll have lots to tell us when you do.' Lily said, her ethereal tears glistening in the golden light of Olympus.

James released Lily and gathered Harry in a quick hug, whispering in his ear.

'Kiddo, don't let Sirius and Remus call you pup and cub. I always thought it was silly, you're an adult and can destroy mountains if you put your mind to it. You're beyond those names.'

Harry smiled and nodded at his father as James returned, back to hold Lily in his arms. He would always remember his childhood with the Dursleys. But now at least, he had spoken to his parents and knew what they were like with his own eyes.

'I love you, Mum, Dad.' Harry whispered, unable to take his eyes away from his parents. He drank in the sight of them, ethereal as they were, knowing that he could never do this again.

Harry nodded, tears in his eyes and with a thought, James and Lily were gone.

He let out a breath before he turned his Deathly powers on the barrier between the underworld and the living one.

With care, he stitched the rend in the barrier together, mending it as much as he could.

Grindelwald's research was of no use, it was entirely instinctual.

His power of Death seemed to give him the ability to interact with the underworld, even from Olympus, but it didn't give him control of the underworld.

The thought troubled him, if he didn't have this power, it could only mean that Hades had that power. If that was the case then the god would have power over Death itself, which triggered further questions in Harry's mind.

Squaring his shoulders, Harry gathered his power to him. His Deathly power, his magic and his wands. His Deathly power sung in his veins, exulting in the use of them while his own magic rushed through him, almost as though it was competing with his newly acquired power over Death.

He moved up the steps, one at a time, feeling his power at his fingertips, just waiting to be unleashed.

At the top of the stairs hung a wide circular lookout. From that vantage point he could see all of Greece, and somehow beyond. Magic and some kind of godly power was at play, he was sure of it.

Along the edges of the lookout sat twelve golden thrones, all facing inward, facing him. One stood larger than the rest, in the middle of the twelve.

In the centre of the lookout, mere metres away from him stood the figure he'd seen at Nurmengard Castle, whom Grindelwald had called Hades. He was facing outward, taking in the view.

Hades turned around, facing Harry.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight. Hades looked like any other man, though he could tell the god would be regarded as handsome by anyone. He wore a black beard that hung just above his chest and his curly black hair fell to his shoulders.

Hades wore a black toga, though it looked like Harry's own open robes in the way the material clung to his body.

Hades face twisted into a cruel smile.

'Welcome young one, to Olympus, the seat of the Gods.'


	50. Chapter 50 - The Golden Throne

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 50: The Golden Throne.**

'Olympus was abandoned long ago, I feel no lingering presence of my siblings, or their children. The gods have not been here in many years.' Hades said, a hand gesturing to the Golden City stretched out around them.

Then Hades turned to Harry who stared at the god in disbelief.

'It was never my intention to conquer Olympus human. I simply wanted my wife returned to me.' Hades explained, his cruel eyes watching Harry.

Harry wracked his brain for Hades' wife, then it came to him. Persephone was her name, also a goddess.

'What happened to Persephone?' Harry asked, his gaze never leaving the gods.

Hades paced before his brother Zeus' Golden Throne.

'Someone or something killed Persephone. Her essence returned here, to Olympus where all gods return to in death.'

Harry stared as the agitated god paced back and forth, an aura of inky darkness gathering around him.

'But she is not here, nor for that matter is anyone else. I believed Zeus had taken her from me, he has done it before, the letch. I came to retrieve her, but as you can see, nobody has been here for a very long time, a thousand years most likely.' Hades ceased pacing, his gaze looking out to the view of Greece, eyes searching.

'So, they are either dead or have gone somewhere else without informing me.' Hades finished with a sigh, though the anger in his tone was still evident.

Harry watched the god with distrust.

'But if they were dead, like fully dead, would they have not gone to the underworld? Or do gods just cease to be when they die?' Hades spun, levelling his glare at Harry.

'Didn't you listen human? The gods return to Olympus in death.' Hades snarled, spittle spraying from his mouth.

Hades visibly worked to calm himself, his gaze roaming the assembled thrones before resting on his brothers Golden Throne, larger than the rest.

'Now human, it was a pleasant diversion to speak to a living being for a time, but I have things to do.' Hades sighed, sounding deflated.

Harry met Hades black eyes.

'Like what?'

Hades cocked his head, narrowing his eyes at Harry.

'I have some frustration to release, why not fill the underworld a little more? Without my brother around, I no longer need remain there.' Harry tensed, his jaw clenching.

'You can't do that. I won't let you.' Harry declared, gathering his power to him, some of it having slipped while they were talking.

Hades shook his head with a slight chuckle before he threw out a hand toward Harry who leapt to the side, but it was no use. An overpowering force crushed him to the ground, like the hand of a god holding him down, which it was.

Harry's face crashed into the marble floor, which exploded with deep cracks. He was sure he would be needing some intensive care from Poppy with the way his jaw hurt. It was like gravity was increased around him, working to turn him into a puddle on the cracked marble.

A few moments of the intense gravity allowed Harry to regain his focus. His body felt like it was jelly, but he gathered his newly acquired Deathly powers, embracing them and drawing out as much power from them as he was comfortable with, then pulled a bit more.

He stood in the extreme gravity, his Deathly powers working to nullify the gods power. Harry leapt backward, away from the shattered marble floor.

Hades laughed.

'So, one of you humans finally bent Death to your will? I sent those items out into your world so long ago. I was so disappointed that you humans clamoured so much for just one of them, but none ever obtained all three. Pathetic really.' Hades scoffed, before waving a hand at Harry.

Harry felt his Deathly powers torn from him, his mastery over Death leaving him as the three Hallows disintegrated to dust in front of him. It was like he'd just come off the greatest sugar high in history, his power reduced to a mere shadow of what it was while he held the Hallows.

'Let us see how you fare without my servant sustaining you, human.'

Harry's blood ran cold. His fears were correct in that not even Death itself had power over the god in front of him.

'_Harry, strike hard and as fast as you can. Surprise is your only advantage.'_ Merlin called in his head and Harry leapt forward, dodging around the extreme gravity affected area.

Hades narrowed his eyes at Harry, a thoughtful expression on his face.

After flicking both wands into his hands he threw his most powerful Battle Magic he could at Hades.

Great blasts of burning crimson magic scorched the air between them as Harry poured as much of his magic through his wands as he dared.

His wands smoked and burnt his hands with the amount of magic he used, but still he poured more into them.

Hades batted the Battle Magic away with contempt, sending the crimson bolts out into the sky.

The god laughed.

'Wand magic? Against a god? Truly?'

Harry returned his wands with a thought and inwardly cursed that he'd never gotten around to making a staff for his Grand Sorcery. But he knew he could use it without the staff, though it wouldn't be as powerful.

He called all the surrounding light into a ball between his hands, causing the Golden City to go dark in what could have been the first time in history. The city looked like it was a moonlit night, where mere moments before it shone with golden brilliance.

Harry threw the ball of light toward Hades, a searing beam streaking between the two in an instant.

In his mindscape, Harry had torn a mountain in two with the attack.

But Hades stood before him, one hand outstretched having dispersed the beam. Light returned to Olympus.

Hades shook his head and gave a sigh, disappointment exuding from his frame.

'Grand Sorcery? You are using mortal weapons against a god. How could that possibly work? At least the two old men on the mountain top tried harder.' Hades scoffed.

Harry narrowed his eyes, gathering his power for another strike. He shot out a hand and his power wrapped around the largest of the Golden Thrones, the one belonging to Zeus himself. With a flick of his hand, Harry tore the throne from the lookout and tossed it at Hades.

Hades swiped his hand and the Golden Throne exploded, shrapnel flying in all directions.

A shard of Zeus' throne bored into Harry's thigh and he screamed out in pain, falling to his knees.

Harry looked up to see Hades, he looked pissed.

'You dare touch the Throne of my brother? While I hated him, it was my right. My brother who tossed me down into the underworld so he could rule the heavens. My other brother, Poseidon, free to rule the seas. But me? I was left with the dead, the scraps, the Ebony Throne.' Hades raged, spittle flying from his mouth.

'I have the right to touch my brother's domain, to rule it in his absence. But you? A filthy human dare to touch, to damage, to imagine you could even compare to me? The arrogance of you humans!' the god ranted, his shadowy aura flaring around him.

With a wave of his hand, Hades sent a wave of force toward Harry that tore through the strongest Grand Shield he could put up without a staff. The same shield Morgana had used during their fight at Avalon.

Hades' wave of force tore the shield apart in an instant, not even slowing down.

The wave of force sent Harry crashing down onto the platform below, where he had spoken to his parents. The area was large and clear of obstructions.

Harry knew in that instant he was outmatched. There was nothing he could do to match the god taking slow, menacing steps down to the level he was now on.

Everything hurt as he coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood. He noticed his blood seeping into cracked tiles where he'd landed and groaned as he pulled himself to his hands and knees.

He coughed up another mouthful of blood and spat it out onto the cracked tiles before looking to see Hades taking his time, moving down the steps with a cruel smirk on his face.

'I'll be damned if I give up here.' Harry growled to himself before calling for Excalibur, the legendary sword appeared in his right hand, first as pure light before coalescing as the sword itself.

'_Young Harry, call Caliburn.'_ Arthur urged and Harry clenched his jaw, calling for Caliburn a moment later, for it to appear in his left hand, much the same as Excalibur.

'_I haven't trained in using two swords.'_ Harry reminded his trainer.

'_The two swords are one and the same Harry. Join the two together to create the sword they were always meant to be. The true Excalibur.' _Arthur commanded and Harry let out a breath.

He lay Excalibur on the floor, then Caliburn on top of it.

Harry watched in wonder as the two swords glowed so bright Harry had to shield his eyes with his hand. A few moments later, the light faded and Harry stared at the single sword on the floor in front of him.

It looked the same as Excalibur did previously, but now on one side of the blade, _Caliburn,_ was written. But only the aesthetics of the sword didn't change much.

He could feel the power radiating off the blade and he picked it up. In an instant, the power of the true Excalibur rushing through him, filling him, rejuvenating his mind and body. The feeling matched that of the Deathly Hallows and Harry grinned.

Harry's body was flooded with energy, he felt like he'd be able to run forever and never tire. Like he could bench-press a mountain, his body was being augmented and enhanced beyond anything natural.

Harry knew from his battle with Mordred that he couldn't handle this level of enhancement for long before his body failed him. He triggered his ritual tattoos, having forgotten about them until now and a white light shone from him, blending with the almost painful blue glow of Excalibur.

With a deep breath Harry drew on his magic to sustain him, to aid him and noticed small jolts of electricity arcing across his skin. He drew harder on his magic and more white-blue bolts of lighting leapt across his skin.

Harry leapt from his kneeling position, crossing the distance between him and the god in an instant. Hades was only a few steps away from the platform and Harry swung the legendary sword at the god, lightning crackling in its wake.

Hades held up a hand and Harry froze, mid-air, Excalibur's blue glowing blade flaring only inches from Hades neck.

The god's eyes were narrowed, staring at Harry. Harry fought Hades' grip, struggling against Hades' power, holding him in place in mid-air.

Hades twitched his fingers and Harry felt the gods power crushing him, his bones felt like they were being ground to dust in Hades grip.

Harry drew on more of his power, everything he could gather, and the sword moved another inch toward the gods exposed neck.

Sweat beaded down Harry's forehead as he struggled against the gods hold.

Hades' gaze centred on Harry's forehead, more specifically, his scar.

'Who are you?' Hades demanded; his black eyes boring into Harry's soul.

Harry closed his mind, his occlumency shields at maximum and Hades moved right through them as if they weren't there. He tried to use the god's apparent distraction to force the sword closer to his neck.

Hades retreated from Harry's mind and closed his hands into a fist, Harry felt the pressure holding him in place constrict, crushing him.

Harry screamed in pain as a rib cracked and his bones felt like they were turning to dust.

'Harry. Potter.' he screamed.

Hades released his grip, slightly. Harry hung in the air, Excalibur less than an inch from Hades neck but Harry wasn't sure if he could even stand unassisted by Hades power holding him up, let alone continue his attack against the god.

'I have kept a close eye on the human families with the blood of my family, and the Potters hold none.' Hades growled, then his eyes narrowed into slits.

'What of your mother?'

Harry stayed silent until another scream was torn from him as Hades continued to crush him with ease.

'Lily. Evans. But she was a muggleborn witch.' Harry gasped.

'_Hold on young one. Do whatever it takes to just hold on. Help is coming, remember that Fleur is coming for you. Just hold on.'_ Godric pleaded as Harry's vision darkened.

Hades eyes widened before he grinned. With a careless flick of his hand, Harry flew into the railing, cracking it as he slumped to the ground, his body battered and bleeding.

'It is surprising to find a vessel after all these years, especially a vessel that could hold multiple spirits. I almost didn't notice it.' Hades smirked before a cruel grin replaced it.

'But I don't think we need any eavesdroppers for what comes next.'

Hades flicked his hand and Harry was alone.

His spirit companions were torn from him in an instant and he no longer felt their presence in his mind.

No longer could he listen to their counsel, no longer would they be able to pass onto him knowledge lost to time. He wouldn't be able to show them the wonders of the modern times like he'd always planned to do.

Harry was alone, his body broken and with no one to stand beside him against the power of a god.

He looked down at his leg, the pain there more evident than everywhere else and saw the shard of Zeus' Golden Throne still embedded in his leg. He pulled it out, and with it in his hand he felt a sense of belonging run through him like a shiver.

Harry felt a sense of calm fill him, peace, like he had finally arrived home.

He pulled it up closer to his eyes to see a familiar image. He had seen it before somewhere and looked at it closer.

It was a thunderbolt striking an oak tree with an eagle and a bull on either side.

Harry looked up to meet Hades eyes to see understanding and rage.

Footsteps from the level below reached Harry's ears and his gaze held hope as Hades stepped toward him, his inky black aura flaring around him.


	51. Chapter 51 - The Ebony Throne

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 51: The Ebony Throne.**

Harry stared up at the enraged god standing across from him.

His gaze went to Excalibur, laying useless on the ground nearby. He thought of his wands, both of no use against a god. Nor was his Grand Sorcery, even if he had finished making his staff. All the weapons he had access to were useless against a god.

Hades swiped a hand at Harry, a line of pure force rushed toward Harry. Behind the force, the marble floor of Olympus turned to dust under its destructive power.

Watching the tiles between him and Hades be obliterated forced Harry to realise that he'd always been outmatched in this fight.

He closed his eyes, thoughts of Fleur rushing through his mind. The dreams they wouldn't be able to bring to life. The peace they wanted to see after the nightmare they'd lived through.

Then he heard a familiar pained scream, he knew it more than he wanted to.

It was Fleur's.

When he opened his eyes, Fleur was kneeling in front of him, facing Hades. Her brilliant white wings crossed over her crossed arms held in front of her face.

But her wings were now rent and torn, a bloody mess of feather and skin. She screamed as a part of her was torn from the rest. There was so much blood that Harry's mind froze.

'Fleur?' he choked, his heart in his throat.

She fell to her side, her breath coming in quick gasps as blood seeped from her ruined wings.

Dimly, Harry was aware of Hades being surrounded by wizards and witches, each of them firing spells into a barrier that had appeared around Hades. A group of Veela fired brutal balls of fire into the god along with the others.

Through it all, Hades stared at Harry with a confused hatred.

Harry held Fleur as he struggled to think of something to do to help her.

She was better at healing than he was.

'Fleur.' He screamed, panic filling him as he saw her face growing pale.

She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. Her silver eyes filled with love, before it twisted into a pained grimace.

'Release your alpha form, maybe that will help?' he whispered and a moment later the bloody ruined remains of her wings retracted, and her eyes returned to the usual sapphire blue.

Her breathing was the same, but she no longer bled from her wings. Harry hoped it would be enough to keep her with him.

He looked down to see the piece of Zeus' Throne still in his off hand. A memory from his visit to his parents' graves, and the home he lived in with them until that Halloween clicked in his mind.

The symbol on the throne piece was the same as his mother's family crest. He'd seen the crest on the tapestry's hanging near the staircase, in hindsight it was obvious where he had known the crest from, but at the time, he'd been overwhelmed with everything else that was happening. But the inescapable concept that refused to be ignored was almost unbelievable.

Somehow, his mother was descended from Zeus.

Harry leant down and kissed Fleur on her pale and sweat slicked forehead, she was shivering, in shock.

'I love you. Hold on, just a bit longer.' He whispered before laying her down and standing.

He turned to meet Hades' gaze; furious emerald met confused black.

'I will never forgive you for hurting her. Whatever else you have done is nothing compared to hurting her.'

Harry felt a different power rising inside him. He had touched it earlier when he was holding Excalibur, but now it made sense to him. Lily Evans, his mother, was descended from Zeus, somehow.

That meant that Harry was also descended from Zeus, carried the gods blood inside him, however diluted over thousands of years.

He'd always wondered why his scar from Voldemort was a lightning bolt.

He'd been curious why lightning arced across his skin when he dug deep in his fights with the spirits.

The form of his Patronus weapon had confused him until now.

Now he knew.

It was only now that he realised what that power was. Even earlier in their fight, Hades caught Harry mid-air when he was channelling the lightning, with Excalibur. He'd only scraped the surface and he'd been able to resist Hades' power.

Harry dug deep into that font of power. His magical core that was explained to him at the start of his training as a pond or small lake while normal wizards and witches have a glass of water. This reservoir of power was a figurative ocean.

And Harry leapt into it headfirst.

A storm came to Olympus, the light and fluffy clouds above turned an ominous grey.

Thunder rolled across the Golden City and those firing ineffectual spells and fireballs at Hades turned to see Harry, standing beside a pale, unmoving Fleur and must have thought the worst.

Within moments, they fled, rushing behind Harry who stood amid a storm.

Hurricane-force winds hit Olympus, blowing robes and hair in every direction.

Through it all, Hades stared at Harry with confused rage.

Harry glared at Hades, lightning and wind swirling around his body as his eyes flashed a brilliant sky blue.

Seeing the change in Harry's eyes, Hades' took a step back, his eyes widening.

The scattered chunks of Zeus' Golden Throne glowed with a golden light.

'I learnt a lot over the past few months, learning from the greatest wizards to have ever lived.' Harry spoke, taking a step toward Hades.

Lightning bolts arced off Harry, striking the marble floor and tearing great rents into it.

The stink of Ozone hung thick over Olympus as Harry submerged himself in the ocean of power he'd only dared touch before, both in his fight against Mordred and earlier in his fight with Hades.

'Only now did I realise that I am descended from your brother, through my mothers' side and that I don't know where the gods have gone, but I will find them, the only real blood family I have left.' Harry stalked toward Hades, a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, hitting Harry which only made the storm swirling around him more intense.

Hades eyes widened before he snarled and thrust his hand at Harry, a bolt of pure black force shot toward Harry who held up a lightning clad arm, dispersing the bolt.

Harry thrust the same arm at Hades and the lightning coating his arm leapt free, crashing through Hades' barrier and smiting the god.

Hades slid across the marble platform, before crashing to a stop at the base of the stairs leading up to the lookout.

Harry turned to the gaping wizards, witches and Veela behind him.

'Someone help her.' He commanded, gesturing to Fleur before turning to stalk toward Hades as the god shook his head to clear it.

Hades pulled himself to his feet, wiping away a trickle of blood sliding down his jaw from the corner of his mouth.

'This is not possible. A human, or even a demigod cannot do this, it's impossible.' The god denied.

Hades gaped at Harry, wreathed in lightning, buffeted by gale force winds.

'How are you channelling my brother? This is not just his power you are borrowing.' The god demanded, black eyes wide in shock.

Harry shot forward and sent a vicious lightning infused uppercut into Hades' chest, sending the god all the way up the stairs, back into the lookout where the god fell amidst the glowing remains of Zeus' Golden Throne.

'Far too many people have died in your plan to escape the underworld. If I can find a way to kill gods, I will do so. But for now, imprisonment will have to do.' Harry declared, ignoring Hades demands.

He held out a hand and a bolt of lightning crashed down from the roiling skies. Harry caught it and it formed into a spear, its edges frayed as the weapon was literally lightning, contained into a physical form.

He thrust it into Hades leg, pinning it to the marble floor and forcing an agonised scream from the god.

The marble cracked underneath the god, small sparks of lightning arcing across its surface.

Harry created another three spears, one for each limb, pinning the god of the underworld to the lookout, in full view of the Golden Thrones.

Harry created a fifth spear, longer and thicker than the others.

'You will stay in the underworld or I will not be so kind the next time I send you back. I will try to find out where the gods disappeared to and find Persephone for you. But you will not.' Harry declared, a stern frown marring his stormy features.

'You will stay on your Ebony Throne. If you come up again you will do irreparable harm.'

Hades stared at Harry, hatred and fear in his eyes.

Harry thrust the final spear into Hades chest, where Harry assumed the gods heart was.

With a scream of agony, Hades faded away, presumably to the underworld. Unless Harry had killed him, but he doubted that.

The whole gods thing was strange.

Letting out a breath, Harry turned from the shattered marble tiles where Hades had faded away and with a final glance at the ruined Golden Throne of Zeus, Harry turned and ran down the stairs toward Fleur's side.

The crowd of onlookers flinched away from Harry, who only then realised he was still coated with lightning. With a conscious effort, he released his hold on his power and the lightning around him receded, and the storm clouds around Olympus dispersed.

He saw Madam Pomphrey working on Fleur and he smiled, confident that she would be okay with the familiar medi-witch looking after her.

Harry's body was sluggish and his eyes drooped.

He realised that once again he'd pushed his body far beyond its limits, but before the familiar feeling of oblivion claimed him, he knelt beside Fleur and lay a hand on her arm, ignoring the glare from Poppy.

'Hold on Fleur.' He whispered before falling over, unconscious beside her, amid screams from the surrounding crowd.


	52. Chapter 52 - Beginnings

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 52: Beginnings.**

Harry woke in the hospital wing and groaned. The white room being one of the more familiar and unwelcome sights he had woken to since attending Hogwarts.

Beside him, he heard an unamused huff.

'I'm not so fond of seeing you in such a state either young man.' Poppy said with a hint of a smile behind her scowl.

He grinned up at her, before grimacing at the pain in his jaw.

The pain brought his memories back into focus. He shot up into a sitting position before his body erupted in agony. An agony he endured as his eyes darted around the room before settling on the silver hair of Fleur.

But she wasn't moving. His breathing sped up as his chest tightened.

'She will recover.' Poppy reassured and Harry let out a relieved sigh and fell back on his bed.

'She will pull through, but it will be quite some time before she can transform again. Those wings of hers were heavily damaged and will take time to heal.' The matron explained as Harry nodded, a small smile on his face as he allowed himself to believe that she was okay.

He noticed it was dark outside and sighed.

'How long was I out this time?' he asked, dreading the answer.

Poppy smirked down at him.

'This is the third night you've graced me with your presence young man.' Her smirk faded and she took on her more professional demeanour.

'You suffered from magical exhaustion, and numerous injuries that I'm surprised you survived to be perfectly honest.' She confided before turning to look at Fleur.

'Your lovely lady however, she was near death after saving your life. Blood loss and internal bleeding almost killed her, if she had held her transformation for another minute she would have died.'

Harry let out a sigh.

They'd made it through. They had sent their enemies back to the underworld, including Hades who had been the reason behind the others escaping.

Then it occurred to Harry that he would never see Merlin, Arthur or Godric again. Nor could he use the Hallows to contact them like he had with his parents as the Hallows no longer existed.

Harry supposed that he could find the underworld like the heroes of Greek Mythology and go there himself, but that would just be tempting fate. Which seeing as there were gods and Death existed as a being. Fate likely did as well, and Harry was positive that Fate must hate him.

Better not to give Fate any reasons to punish him further.

'Harry, go to sleep. Perhaps Fleur will be awake in the morning.' Poppy urged and Harry gave a tired nod. Sleep growing more inviting each moment he remained awake.

Moments later he was asleep, unaware of the world around him.

* * *

The next morning Harry woke to unfamiliar sounds around him. Blinking, he realised he hadn't gone to his mindscape, or seen Fleur in hers. Would they be able to continue using their mindscapes? Or had that been possible due to the spirits he shared it with?

Shaking his head twice to clear his thoughts, he glanced around the infirmary to see it filled with people.

His family, Sirius and Remus, and his friends, Hermione and Ron, the Twins, even Neville were there with him around his bed. On the other side of the infirmary stood Flitwick as well as Mr and Mrs Weasley.

Over beside the bed next to him sat Fleur's parents and Gabrielle, they were watching Fleur's sleeping form with anxious expressions. Though when Apolline looked up to see him awake, she gave him a beaming smile before looking past him with raised eyebrows, her message was clear, he should socialise with the others.

He nodded with a smile and she turned back to Fleur while he turned to face his friends and family crowding around him.

'Harry?' he heard Hermione ask, he blinked, only hearing the last part of the question.

'What?'

Hermione had a tear sliding down her face.

'What happened Harry? They're saying that Dumbledore-' she sniffed.

'that Dumbledore died.' She finished and Harry closed his eyes, regret filling his thoughts for a moment before letting out a breath.

He nodded his head in silent agreement.

'Dumbledore woke us last night-'

Harry paused, running a hand through his hair.

'I suppose it was a few nights ago now-' he shrugged before continuing.

'-saying that Voldemort was attacking the Ministry. He also told us that Grindelwald was about to start his attack on Europe and that the Aurors of the European Ministries were about to attack him.' Harry started, trying to decide what exactly he should tell the room at large.

'Why would he do such a thing?' Mrs Weasley shrieked, stomping across the infirmary and pushing aside the twins as she stopped at the end of Harry's bed.

Harry noticed every head in the hospital wing was staring at the woman with varying expressions of distaste, disbelief and anger.

'Mrs Weasley I-' Harry started before she cut him off.

'Harry dear, you had no business being involved in all this nasty business, why-' she in turn was cut off by Sirius as he flicked his wand, silencing her.

Mrs Weasley glared at Sirius and gestured to her throat; her eyes venomous.

'Molly dear, maybe we should come back later.' Mr Weasley said, taking hold of his wife's shoulders and leading her from the room, all under the watching eyes of the room.

As soon as the elder Weasleys left the room, all eyes turned back to Harry who sighed.

'Fleur and I went to the Ministry to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters while the Headmaster went to confront Grindelwald.' Harry continued, even the Delacour's turned their gaze away from Fleur and watched him tell his story.

'We fought Voldemort and beat him, but not before he killed the Minister. We beat him and the Death Eaters and left immediately to help Dumbledore with Grindelwald.' He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

'By the time we got there, Grindelwald's army lay broken beneath his fortress of Nurmengard. And moments after we arrived, the fortress collapsed, almost crushing us. We saw Dumbledore and another person fighting a third figure and went to help him.' Harry paused, the memory of Dumbledore's last moments raw in his mind.

'The Headmaster was fighting side by side with Grindelwald against another man, Hades.' Harry explained and he saw Hermione's eyes narrow.

'Yes Hermione, _the_ Hades. The god of the underworld, he escaped, releasing the spirits we've been so busy fighting. Dumbledore and Grindelwald combined couldn't beat the god and by the time we got to them, the Headmaster was moments away from death.' Harry choked, a tear falling down his face.

He couldn't meet the eyes of anyone in the room. Couldn't bear the thought of their blaming him for the death of the man who'd been a hero in all their eyes.

'Dumbledore died before my eyes, Fawkes' tears had no effect.' He sniffed, rubbing his nose with the sleeve of his hospital gown.

A moment later, the bird in question flamed into the room, releasing a trill before landing on Harry's head, using it as a perch.

Harry blinked at the bird, then smiled.

'Grindelwald was still alive, but not for much longer. But before he died, he shoved all the memories of his life into my head. It turns out that he'd been trying to prepare for Hades back in the fifties. The memories are still in my head.' He tapped his temple and heard a gasp, he thought it belonged to Hermione but couldn't be sure without looking up to see.

His gaze locked on his hands and they twisted together in a nervous gesture, his jaw clenched as memories flooded through him.

'For the Greater Good.' Harry murmured and strangled gasps filled the room before he was silent for a minute, the room mirroring him.

'The memories of Grindelwald told me where to find Hades, he'd gone to Mount Olympus. I went there to confront him and keep him busy until Fleur arrived with reinforcements.' He sighed before continuing.

'Somehow, I channelled Zeus' lightning. According to Hades anyway. But Olympus was empty, abandoned long ago, so I can't go ask any other gods.' He admitted.

'What are you going to do now? Olympus is the home of the gods. Do you think the Ministries of Europe will allow it to remain sealed?' Hermione asked and Harry chuckled.

'Not a chance. Olympus is mine, at least until the gods return and ask for it back. I defeated a god for control of the place; besides, the British Ministry will set up shop in Camelot from what I hear. Which I'm not sure if I agree with by the way.' Harry scowled before Hermione frowned at him.

'Why do you have anything to say about it Harry? You're still in school?' she asked, cocking her head while he allowed a small grin on his face.

With a thought and his arm outstretched above him, Excalibur appeared in his hand. Harry released it and held it with his magic, making it turn in circles slow enough for everyone to see.

Dominique gasped as he saw the sword.

'Congratulations son, you know that sword makes you the King of Magical Britain, right?'

The room was silent as they considered the French diplomats' words.

Harry chuckled.

The musical laugh of Apolline broke the silence as she held a sleeping Fleur's hand while she smiled at Harry.

'If you play your cards right Harry, you'll be the King of Magical Britain _and_ King of the Faeries.'

Harry blushed down to his neck and mumbled.

He dimly noticed the occupants of the room glancing between Harry and Apolline with confusion clear on their faces.

As the moment drew out longer than was comfortable for Harry, he plastered a smile on his face.

'When do we all think I might be able to take my NEWTs?'

Sirius barked out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like 'smooth.'

But it was enough.

Hermione bounced in her seat to the surprise of no one present.

'You shouldn't be too keen to dive into the NEWTs Harry. The rest of us haven't even done our OWLs yet.' The young bookworm admonished, and Harry tuned out her rant and Harry noticed the adults in the room giving him expressions of understanding, while the students wore looks of confusion and incomprehension.

* * *

An hour later, Poppy chased the well wishers out of the infirmary, leaving only the Delacour's saying their last goodbyes of the evening.

Dominique lay a hand on Harry's shoulder, a small smile on his face as he met Harry's emerald gaze.

'Harry, I'm proud of you. We're proud of you. We couldn't hope to have a better son than you. You're part of the family and know that in time you two will make it official. But until that day, just know that in our hearts, we know you are one of us.' With a gentle squeeze, Dominique took a sleeping Gabrielle from Apolline and moved to wait beside the door to the infirmary.

Apolline leant over Harry's bed and kissed his forehead.

'Harry, you are the son I always wished I had. You are brave, kind and just. You have protected our family countless times and I know that you always will. I am proud to call you my son. Sleep well.' The Veela whispered, ending the kiss on his forehead and joining her husband as they left the room.

Poppy closed the door and turned to him.

'They are quite fond of you Harry.' She remarked as she moved to his side, handing him a bright red potion.

'Drink up Mister Potter.' She ordered as he took the potion and cringed as the foul-tasting liquid slid down his throat.

Almost instantly sleep overwhelmed him and he gave in to the blackness.

* * *

He stood in the cave inside his mindscape where Voldemort's soul piece originally had lain, small tunnels burrowing throughout Harry's mind and Harry couldn't help the tear that slid down his cheek.

For the first time in his mindscape, he felt alone.

A bittersweet smile on his face as he stared down at the spot where he'd released Arthur and Merlin into his mind.

Thoughts and memories rushed through his mind, memories of the three men training him, preparing him.

It was then that it occurred to him that the three men had been teaching him to live after his battles.

He remembered Merlin showing him to bend trees into shapes which he mentioned the elves had once done in their forest abodes.

He remembered Godric showing him various simple wards to put up around a home, and rituals that weren't meant for Harry. The rituals helped a child grow healthy and strong. The way children were raised in his time, to be strong and honourable.

Memories of Arthur, while in the middle of a tactics lesson, telling him how to treat the woman he loved, to care for and respect her.

His smile, no longer bittersweet. Tears fell down his cheeks and for the first time he could remember, he didn't resent them, didn't try to wipe them away.

A pair of arms wrapped around his chest and he felt them tighten and the smell of lavender filled his nostrils, his breath hitched, and he leaned back into Fleur.

'I love you.' He murmured.

'I love you too.' She whispered back in his ear, sending shivers down his body.

He turned around in her arms, his hands holding her waist, pulling her in toward him.

He leant down and captured her lips in a kiss.

It was full of need and relief. Love and desire filled them as the kiss deepened.

In an instant, Harry's mindscape turned from the cave to the forest near Fleur's home.

He lay her down on a patch of thick grass and admired the vision of beauty before him, her silver hair splayed out around her like a halo.

Harry leant down to take her lips in another kiss before he pulled back, a soft smile on his face.

'It's all over.' He whispered, unwilling to break the peaceful scene around them.

She smiled up at him, her fingers losing themselves in his hair as she pulled him to her, their lips meeting in a deeper kiss.

* * *

The two woke in the evening and after a relaxed dinner were released by Poppy to return to their rooms. Harry led them to the Hall of the Brave out of habit, it wasn't necessary anymore, but Harry was positive it would continue until they both finished their time in Hogwarts. He wouldn't give up their time together for anything.

Harry lay in bed, ready for sleep while Fleur showered, removing the lingering feeling of being unclean after their constant fighting of the last few weeks.

He lay on his back, the shard of the Mirror of Erised in his hand.

A small smile was on his face as Fleur exited the shower and sat on the bed beside him.

He looked up at her, sorrow in his eyes and Fleur gave a single slow nod, tears sliding down her face.

'I'm sorry.' Harry whispered as he closed his hand around the shard, though it cut into his skin, the shard cracked once, then shattered in his hands as more tears flowed down his face.

With a wave of Fleur's wand, Harry found his hand healed and he felt her lips on his cheeks, kissing his tears.

'Thank you 'Arry. I don't think I 'ad the strength to do that. But now there is truly nothing stopping us from our dream.' She whispered, tears in her own eyes.

Harry turned his palm over, and glass dust fell to the floor and with a thought, his hand was clean.

He turned to Fleur and cupped a hand to her cheek. Leaning in to kiss her, he whispered into her ear.

'We should get started on that dream now, don't you think?'

She grinned and pounced on him, pinning him to the bed.

_**The End.**_

_A/N: Well, there we go. All done, I'd always wanted to write a Fanfiction and now I have. I'm writing a bunch of original stuff, but who knows the itch to do some more stuff in the Potterverse might end up to be too tempting. _

_Anyway I hope you all enjoyed it. To those of you who have pointed out mistakes and things, I have tried to go back through the story and fix them without creating cascading changes._

_So yeah, thanks again for all the follows and favourites and reviews. _

_Farewell! _


	53. Chapter 53 - Epilogue

**A/N: **Due to popular demand, I have written an epilogue.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing you recognise.

**Chapter 53: Epilogue.**

**5 Years Later.**

Harry stood on the lookout of Olympus, his gaze roaming across Greece. It never failed to calm his nerves, being on the lookout.

Around him, laying scattered on the floor like they had been for the last five years were the pieces of Zeus' shattered throne. He never had the heart to remove them and hadn't the skill to repair the throne either.

Nor did the Goblins, nor anyone else alive.

Harry gave a sigh as he looked out to the Golden City, Olympus. It was still abandoned.

He'd never found the gods like he had told Hades he would, before sending the errant god back to the underworld to his Ebony Throne. A part of Harry felt bad for the god, he'd lost his wife and didn't even know what happened to her.

His gaze fell on the wizarding tents set up in the open plazas on the ground level of Olympus. They'd been studying Olympus since he'd claimed it in the wake of what the Prophet had called the Spirit War.

Harry had never liked that name, but since he hadn't come up with a better one, there was nothing to be done.

The scent of lavender entered his nostrils and a bright smile crossed his face as he turned to see Fleur having ascended the steps and joined him on the lookout, a baby in her arms.

''Arry? Why are you still so focussed on this throne? We 'ave an entire city to study.' She asked, smiling as she offered the baby to him. Fleur kissed its silver hair as she passed it into his eager arms.

Harry cooed at the baby in his arms for a few moments before looking back to Fleur and kissing her lips. He pulled away, bouncing the baby girl in his arms in a gentle rhythm.

'I told Hades I would search for his kin, that I would find Persephone. As much as I would like to ignore my words to him that day, they won't leave my mind. It's as if my magic is forcing me to hold to my word.' Harry sighed again before looking down to the tiny creature in his arms.

'How is Holly this morning? I hope I didn't wake the two of you as I left?' he asked, and Fleur gave him a warm smile.

'Non 'Arry. We slept right through you clomping around the 'ouse at five in the morning to come 'ere. As always.' She smirked and Harry returned the expression.

'Good, I would hate to wake you from your beauty sleep, not that you need it.' He grinned and she rolled her eyes at him.

''Arry, we've been married for two years now and now we 'ave a child. I refuse to allow you to start telling what does 'ermione call them? Dad jokes?' Fleur narrowed her eyes and Harry beamed at her, holding his daughter close to his chest.

'I wasn't even thinking of sinking so low as to tell dad jokes. At least not until Holly is old enough to be ashamed of me for telling them.' He grinned at her suspicious glare before he turned away from his wife and moved over to the other thrones in the lookout.

'It's okay Holly my love, we'll let your mummy stay over there and be mean. We'll just have a look at all of Greece from here.' Harry cooed to Holly who reached out to hold his nose, her emerald eyes locked on his.

Fleur joined Harry and Holly staring out over the countryside below, a sombre expression on her face.

''Arry, what is wrong? I've felt it for the last few weeks, I was waiting for you to talk to me on your own, but…' she trailed off and Harry kissed Holly's hair.

'Fleur, I'm missing something.' He admitted, absently playing with Holly as he struggled to put his feelings into words.

'Even with the Goblins firmly behind us, the Veela along with them.' Harry added before a small chuckle escaped him.

'Heck, even the British wizarding world accepted, no, demanded for me to be their King once my having Excalibur and defeating Hades become public knowledge.' He paused, still unable to accept those nuggets of information, even after five years.

He turned and smiled at the silent Veela bodyguards who trailed behind Fleur almost wherever she went. His smile faded as he turned back to look out over Olympus.

'Sirius and Dominique are doing well as my proxy's in Camelot. I could never handle sitting in that place all the time, or the politicians for that matter.' He added and Fleur scoffed.

'No 'Arry, I don't think the politicians would survive long if you took up court in Camelot with them. You 'ave no patience for the political games they play.' She agreed then stepped closer to him.

''Arry, what is it that's bothering you?'

Harry held Holly tighter to his chest, kissing her silver hair before giving a smile to Fleur.

'It's-'

His words were cut off by someone clearing their throat behind them.

Harry and Fleur turned to see Remus, catching his breath on the stairs. He noted the werewolf was careful not to stand on the lookout itself, as everybody else did, even the Veela bodyguards silently refused to stand on the lookout.

Which meant in the last five years, only Harry, Fleur and Holly had been on the lookout.

'Harry, my team has found something that I'm sure you two will want to see.' Remus said as he caught his breath, a hand on the railing beside him to keep him upright.

'Of course Remus, we'll be right there.'

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the four approached the crypts of Olympus. Behind them, a crowd of bodyguards and researchers followed.

'Remus, can you explain to me why Olympus would need a crypt? It is a city of the god's; they don't die and so why do they need crypts for?' Harry asked and Remus chuckled.

'Harry, if they don't die, where are they?' the werewolf asked, and Harry shook his head.

'It's not that simple Remus. When people die, they go to the underworld. According to Hades, when gods die, they come here.' Harry argued only for Remus to raise his eyebrows.

'What?' Harry asked.

'You just answered the question your majesty.' Remus smirked and Harry scowled.

'You just said, "_When gods die, they come here."_ That means they need somewhere to be buried or interred or whatever.' Remus finished and Harry huffed.

''E has you there my love.' Fleur added with a sweet smile as Harry scowled at her.

Remus stopped the group, gesturing to a large door. It was a mural, depicting a scene Harry was unfamiliar with. His interest raised, he met Fleur's eyes and she took a sleeping Holly from his arms and cooed at her, leaving Harry to examine the door.

On the door Harry saw twelve figures, someone carved them to appear frightening. The largest of the figures held a one-handed scythe, a sickle, in one hand that looked familiar to Harry. The image triggered something in his memories but what it was, he didn't know.

Around the twelve frightening figures stood another twelve figures, but Harry recognised these by the items they were holding. The second group of twelve were the gods who ruled Olympus, led by Zeus and his wife Hera.

Harry recognised other gods on the mural in a group further away from the main groups, signifying their presence in the event, but not their direct involvement.

Without conscious thought, Harry reached out to touch the carved image of Zeus. The detail carved into the marble was exquisite. The image of Zeus bore a great beard and his signature lightning bolt which Harry had inherited.

At his touch, the door opened. At first it shook the entire wall, dislodging thousands of years of dust which settled on the otherwise pristine marble floor.

'Harry, I only meant for you to see the door. I've been trying to open it for weeks.' Remus said, his mouth agape as the door gave way, allowing entrance to the crypt.

Harry gave a slight grin and turned back to the crypt.

'Shall we?' he asked and without waiting for a response, entered.

The small crowd followed behind him and the only sounds Harry heard were gasps of wonder as they moved into a glowing room. Much like the rest of Olympus, the room glowed with a radiance that Harry still didn't understand.

He entered the crypt itself to see it was a long room, about ten metres wide and about fifty long.

Harry moved with slow steps through the crypt, peering at the sarcophagus' lining the walls. On each sarcophagus, a carved face showed the occupant. He wracked his brain for depictions of the gods throughout history and even with his occlumency, many of the face on the sarcophagus' were unknown to him.

The further into the crypt he went, he recognised more of the faces.

Ares, god of war. Hermes, god of travel. Hephaestus, smith of the gods. Hera, Queen of the gods.

Their carved images stared out from their sarcophagus' watching the crypt for all of time.

But Harry's attention was drawn to the end of the long room where a pedestal stood, holding a beautiful woman who Harry recognised as Persephone, Hades' wife. The one that Hades had broken out of the underworld to find.

A sarcophagus lay open on a table behind her, shielded by her pedestal.

As Harry approached, he reached out a hand in horror.

Embedded in Persephone's chest was a sickle.

**A/N:** _Yes, this is geared up to get a sequel. Though this sequel might take a long time to happen, depending on other projects. I hope this tied of any loose ends that I'd left and had always planned on resolving in the sequel. (To be honest, I think it was just me being lazy.) _

_Also, totally hit the 200k words which I was so close to hitting before, huzzah!_

_I am astounded by the response I've gotten from this fic and the support you guys, my readers, have given me. I really appreciate it. Thanks again!_


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